Novak Djokovic Pays Tribute to Rafael Nadal in Their Last Match
Novak Djokovic paid tribute to Rafael Nadal, who is set to retire from professional tennis in November, during an exhibition tournament on Saturday in Riyadh, where he faced and defeated his “greatest rival” for the “last time.”
“Don’t leave tennis, man,” exclaimed the 37-year-old Serbian, world number 4 and holder of the record for Grand Slam victories (24), to the 38-year-old Spanish legend he had just defeated 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) on the court.
The two players, along with Swiss Roger Federer, formed the famous “Big Three” of world tennis and had clashed 60 times on the main circuit before this exhibition match, with Djokovic leading 31 wins to 29.
“It was a very emotional day, a special day because it was the last time I played against my greatest rival, Nadal,” Djokovic shared during the press conference.
“I saw Andy Murray retire this year at Wimbledon, Roger (Federer) a few years ago as well. And now Rafa. It’s hard to see them go,” he added.
Nadal expressed his gratitude to Djokovic for “the incredible rivalry” and “for all the moments we shared on the court.”
The Spanish player with 22 Grand Slam titles, including 14 at Roland-Garros, is set to compete next month in Malaga for the final phase of the Davis Cup (November 19-24), after which he will retire.