Novak Djokovic sends emotional request to Rafael Nadal after winning last match - 'Don't leave tennis man'
Novak Djokovic has emotionally asked Rafael Nadal not to retire from tennis after he won their last meeting on Saturday night
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Novak Djokovic has emotionally asked Rafael Nadal not to retire from tennis after he won their last meeting on Saturday night.
The pair went up against each other for the 61st and final time in Saudi Arabia, with Djokovic winning 6-2, 7-6 at the Six Kings Slam.
Nadal will bow out from tennis after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga in November, having announced his retirement earlier this month.
It is currently unclear if the 38-year-old will play in the singles, however, meaning Saturday may have been his swansong.
Novak Djokovic has emotionally asked Rafael Nadal not to retire from tennis after he won their last meeting on Saturday night
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Djokovic, speaking after the match, had nothing but positive things to say about his long-term rival.
And the former world No 1 pleaded with Nadal not to walk away from the sport just yet and to keep playing for a little while longer.
He said: “I have the utmost respect for you: incredible athlete, incredible person.
“The rivalry has been incredible and has been very intense, so I hope that we’ll have a chance to maybe sit on the beach somewhere and maybe have a little drink and reflect on life, talking about something else.
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“I will finish with one big thank you, from not just me, but all of the tennis world for what you have done.
"You left an incredible legacy and we really appreciate it.
“Don’t leave tennis man, stay a little bit longer, stay with us.”
Nadal also reflected on their rivalry.
The tennis icon hailed Djokovic and admitted that the Serb had helped drive him on during his career.
“It has been an amazing rivalry," he said.
"In a personal way I have to say that you helped me to go over my limits during almost 15 years.
"So thank you for that because without that probably I will not be the player that I am today.
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Novak Djokovic had nothing but positive things to say about Rafael Nadal after beating the Spaniard at the Six Kings Slam
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“It has been a dream come true to be able to play for almost 20 years being competitive and having the chance to play in the best places in the world.”
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner won the Six Kings Slam by beating Carlos Alcaraz.
The Italian praised his rivalry with Alcaraz and says he hopes it will go on for 'as long as possible'.
Sinner said: "These kind of rivalries and players push us to our 100 per cent limit.
Novak Djokovic was too strong for Rafael Nadal on Saturday night
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"I’m happy about this today. But the reason we came here was to show all of you what tennis is about.
"It can be long sometimes, like today. But we just try our best. Hopefully you enjoyed the show.
“We understand each other. We travel a lot. I would say we are good friends. Not the best out of the best. But we like to share every time when we go on court. We try to enjoy.
“Every match has been very, very good. Hopefully this rivalry will last as long as possible. But there are so many other players who can jump in. Let’s see what’s coming in the future.”