'Tennis will miss you' - Novak Djokovic sends heartfelt message to Rafael Nadal after their last meeting on court

Novak Djokovic is still in the race to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals.

After Novak Djokovic won the third-place match against Rafael Nadal at Six Kings Slam 2024 on October 19, Saturday, he took to social media and posted about the Spanish tennis legend.

The Serbian tennis star is currently enjoying his time in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. He initially lost to ATP World No. #1 Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the exhibition tournament. However, he managed to finish third in the tournament after recording a victory over 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.

Following their match, Djokovic took to social media and posted about Nadal. He captioned the post, “The last dance was an epic one. And of course, emotional. I’ll cherish our rivalry forever, @rafaelnadal. Tennis will miss you. As-salamu alaykum, Riyadh. #SixKingsSlam is a special tournament. See you soon.”

The last dance was an epic one. And of course emotional. I’ll cherish our rivalry forever, @rafaelnadal 👑. Tennis will miss you.As-salamu alaykum, Riyadh. #SixKingsSlam is a special tournament. See you soon 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/CnBswzZnLy

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) October 19, 2024

Earlier this month, Nadal announced that he would retire from professional tennis at the 2024 Davis Cup finals. Djokovic will then become the only active member of tennis’ ‘Big Four’. Andy Murray retired from tennis after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Serbian tennis star was also asked about his retirement at the tournament. However, the 37-year-old revealed that he’s looking forward to retiring soon. Djokovic said that he will play a few more years and he’s aiming to win more Grand Slam titles.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic Highlights

He said in a recent interview with Lanacion, “I am sorry for those who want me to retire, but they will still have to see me for a little while longer. I feel I can win a few more Grand Slams.”

Djokovic: "I am sorry for those who want me to retire, but they will still have to see me for a little while longer. I feel I can win a few more Grand Slams." 💪 (via @LANACION)

— Luigi Gatto (@gigicat7_) October 18, 2024

Before the Six Kings Slam, Djokovic was in action at the Shanghai Masters, where he reached the final with resounding wins over the likes of Taylor Fritz, Jakub Mensik, Roman Safiullin, Fabio Cobolli, and Alex Michelsen. However, his winning run was halted in the final by Jannik Sinner.

But courtesy of reaching the final, the 24-time Grand Slam champion is currently in a decent position to secure a spot in the ATP Finals. He’s currently sixth in the race to finals rankings, above Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev. The Paris Masters will also be played before the 2024 ATP Finals. Thus, players will have a final chance to leap in the rankings.

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