Novak Djokovic has asked one of his greatest rivals, Rafael Nadal, to put his retirement plans on hold. Djokovic made the comments after beating the Spaniard on Saturday (19.10) in what could be the final chapter of their illustrious rivalry.
"Don't leave tennis, man," Djokovic said emotionally in an on-court interview after beating Nadal 6-2, 7-6(5) at the Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia.
"It was an honor and a pleasure to share the pitch with you. Today was quite an emotional moment, we have played many matches over the years.
The competition is amazing and it's intense, so I hope we get a chance to sit on some beach and have a drink, reflect on life, talk about something else.
Thank you for what you did, you leave an incredible legacy and we truly appreciate that."
Nadal announced on October 10 that he will retire after the Davis Cup finals in Malaga next month.
Organizers of the Saudi event have billed Saturday's match as perhaps Nadal's final singles match as a professional athlete.
As for Nadal, he said earlier on Thursday that he was unsure whether he would be fit enough to compete in the 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 - had faced each other 60 times on tour, with the score 31-29 in favor of the Serbian player.
Their most recent encounter was at the Paris Olympics at Roland Garros, where Nadal has won 14 French Open titles.
"Thank you Novak for everything, for all the moments we shared on the court throughout our careers. It was a great rivalry," said Nadal, who has 22 Grand Slam titles.
"On a personal level, you have pushed me to my limits for almost 15 years. Without you, I would not be the player I am today. Congratulations on all the titles and the wonderful career you and your team have had. I wish you all the best of luck in the future."
