Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal put their rivalry to one side with a heartwarming exchange at the Six Kings Slam party.
The tennis greats, who boast 46 Grand Slam titles between them, allowed themselves to let their hair down the night before scrapping it out for third place at the lucrative Saudi Arabian exhibition event.
And spirits were evidently high despite Djokovic falling to world No 1 Jannik Sinner and Nadal being defeated in straight sets by Carlos Alcaraz, with the sport’s young guns asserting their dominance over the old guard.
Attending the Six Kings Slam party on Friday evening, Djokovic was filmed in the middle of a crowded dance floor gesturing for Nadal to join him. A smiling Nadal, with his son in his arms, shook his head desperately in an attempt to remain on the sidelines.
But the Spaniard eventually caved in, handing over his child and reluctantly joining Djokovic, who put his arm around his long-standing rival before joining in with the traditional Arabic dance.
Nadal and the Serb will put their niceties to one side later today (Saturday) as they prepare for an on-court battle with serious money on the line.
The winner of the final between Sinner and Alcaraz will take home the largest cash prize in tennis history – £4.6million. Even those who fell at the first hurdle received £1.15m just for turning up.
Djokovic has a narrow head-to-head advantage over Nadal, with 31 wins to the left-hander’s 29. They have only played once since the French Open quarter-finals more than two years ago, and Djokovic won that showdown emphatically with a straight-sets victory at the Paris Olympics this summer.
While Nadal was beaten 6-3 6-3 by Alcaraz at the Six Kings Slam, Djokovic posed a stiffer test for Sinner and took their match to three sets. Even while limiting his schedule, Djokovic has played significantly more recent tennis than Nadal, who will retire after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month.
“Carlos was too good,” said Nadal after losing to Alcaraz. “He’s been playing fantastic the last few years. I tried. I haven’t been on the competitive stage since a couple of months ago. It was a good performance, even if it was not enough to play an animal like him. But it was a good match.”
The 38-year-old also shared a touching message for his supporters. “I feel very loved and supported around the world,” he said. “They helped me when I was in rough moments and in positive moments. They were always there to bring me to the next level of tennis. The love I’ve had means I’ve done good things on and off the court.”
