Nadal to battle Djokovic one last time at Saudi exhibition

Rafael Nadal will get one final opportunity to square off against his long-time rival Novak Djokovic before he retires, as the two legends are set to clash at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia.

Nadal, who recently announced his plans to retire, suffered a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals, setting up a third-place showdown with Djokovic. Djokovic, on the other hand, lost a hard-fought match to world number one Jannik Sinner, 6-2, 6-7(0), 6-4.

In the final, Sinner will face Alcaraz in Riyadh, where the champion will walk away with a $6 million prize.

Reflecting on his upcoming match with Djokovic, Nadal said, “Facing Novak again feels nostalgic. We’ve competed against each other so many times, and it’ll be fun to meet him again, especially in this context.”

Throughout their historic rivalry, Nadal and Djokovic have played each other 60 times, with Djokovic holding a narrow 31-29 lead in their head-to-head record. Their last meeting took place at the 2021 Paris Olympics, where Djokovic won in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.

Nadal, 38, hinted that his journey might not be entirely over, as he could potentially team up with Alcaraz for the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga from November 19-24. “Emotionally, I’ll be ready. There’s still a month to prepare, so I’ll see if I’m up for singles, but if not, I’ll try to contribute in some other way.”

Speaking about Alcaraz, Nadal praised the young Spaniard’s growth, saying, “He’s got an amazing team and a supportive family. He’s progressing rapidly and doesn’t need much advice from me. But I’m always here if he needs anything.”

Nadal’s storied career may be nearing its end, but the chance to face his greatest rival one last time promises to be a fitting chapter in his farewell to the sport.