RIYADH, 20 OCT – Novak Djokovic appealed to his old rival, Rafael Nadal, to postpone his plans to retire after defeating the Spanish star in a friendly match that could be the last meeting between the two players, yesterday.
“Don’t leave tennis, my friend,” said Djokovic after defeating Nadal 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) in the friendly Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia.
Djokovic admits that their rivalry over the years has been fierce and hopes that one day they can ‘relax on the beach’ and enjoy a drink together.
Nadal, 38, previously announced that he would retire after the Davis Cup in Malaga next month.
However, in the event in Riyadh, organizers said the match might be Nadal’s last singles match as a professional player.
Nadal also said on Thursday that he was still unsure whether he would be able to play in the singles match in Malaga due to fitness issues.
Djokovic and Nadal two of Big Three in the world of tennis with Roger Federer have met 60 times on the main tour before yesterday’s showpiece match with Djokovic leading 31-29 in the meeting record.
Their last meeting took place during the Paris Olympics on the same court at Roland Garros, where Nadal won 14 French Open titles, however, in that match, Djokovic easily defeated Nadal 6-1, 6-4.
Djokovic has collected 24 Grand Slam titles during his career, two more than Nadal.
In yesterday’s match, it was mostly in favor of Djokovic, with Nadal making some mistakes, where Djokovic finally managed to finish the first set in just 31 minutes. – AFP