Novak Djokovic has made an offer to one of his greatest opponents, Rafael Nadal, to postpone his retirement plan. Djokovic said this after defeating the Spaniard on Saturday (October 19) in what could be the final chapter of their fierce competition.
"Don't leave tennis, man," Djokovic said emotionally in an interview on the court after beating Nadal 6-2, 7-6(5) at the Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia.
"It's an honor and a pleasure to share the court with you. Today was quite an emotional moment, we have played many matches over the years.
The competition is incredible and very tense, so I hope we will have the opportunity to sit at a beach and drink a little, reflect on life, talk about something else.
Thank you for what you did, you left an incredible legacy and we really appreciate that."
On October 10, Nadal announced that he would retire after the Davis Cup finals in Malaga next month.
Saudi authorities have viewed Saturday's match as Nadal's last singles match as a professional.
For Nadal, he said on Thursday he was uncertain whether he would be fit enough to compete in singles in Malaga.
Before the match in Saudi Arabia, Djokovic and Nadal - 2 members of the famous "Big Three" of this sport along with Roger Federer - faced each other 60 times on the tour, with the score 31-29 in favor of the Serbian tennis player.
Their most recent encounter was at the Paris Olympics at Roland Garros, where Nadal won 14 French Open titles.
"Thank you Novak for everything, for all the moments we shared on the pitch throughout our careers. It was a great rivalry," said Nadal, who has 22 Grand Slam titles.
"Personally, you have helped me push my limits for nearly 15 years. Without you, I would not be the tennis player I am today. Congratulations on all the titles and a great career for you and your team. I wish you all the best in the future."
