Rafael Nadal was beaten in straight sets by compatriot Carlos Alcaraz at the Six Kings Slam in his first match after announcing he will retire from tennis at the end of this season.
Nadal, who will retire after the Davis Cup in Malaga next month, lost 6-3 6-3 to Alcaraz in the exhibition tournament in Riyadh where the winner will be awarded $6 million (£4.6 million).
The 22-time Grand Slam champion will play Novak Djokovic in the third-place play-off on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Tennis at 5pm on Saturday, as the Serbian lost to world No 1 Jannik Sinner in the other Six Kings Slam semi-final.
Alcaraz will play Sinner in the final at 7pm on Saturday as their new rivalry continues.
Nadal hasn’t played since the Paris Olympics in August, where he lost to old rival Djokovic in the second round of the singles tournament and reached the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles with Alcaraz.
Alcaraz got decisive breaks early in both sets but Nadal played some great tennis at times, showcasing his trademark left-handed forehand.
“Carlos was too good. He’s been playing fantastic the last few years,” he said.
“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.”
Nadal’s career has been hampered by injuries; he missed the 2023 French Open and was beaten in the first round by German Alexander Zverev this year.
He won his 14th and last Roland Garros title in 2022 and left the tournament on a jaw-dropping 112-4 win-loss record.
Nadal’s successes came during an extraordinary period when he, Roger Federer, Djokovic and, for a while, Andy Murray, dominated the sport.
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Rafael Nadal says Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are already huge stars, but it’s too soon to compare their rivalry to his with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
“I feel very loved and supported around the world. I will never have the chance to thank everyone for all the support,” said Nadal.
“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.
“I’ve had a very long and successful career. The love I’ve had means I’ve done good things on and off the court.”
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Novak Djokovic shared his reaction to Rafael Nadal’s retirement and how it feels to be the last of the ‘big three’
Earlier on Thursday, Djokovic and Sinner met just four days on from their Shanghai Masters final, where the Italian came out on top.
Djokovic was unable to get revenge as he lost 6-2 6-7 (0-7) 6-4 in a high-quality match. However, it means he will play Nadal for one last time to bring their remarkable rivalry to an end.
The pair have met 60 times on the ATP Tour, including Grand Slams, with Djokovic leading the head-to-head 31-29 and has 24 Grand Slams to Nadal’s 22.
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Tim Henman reflects on Rafael Nadal, ‘one of the greatest competitors’, announcing his retirement from tennis
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis this month?
- Almaty Open, Kazakhstan – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- Stockholm Open, Sweden – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- European Open, Antwerp – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- Japan Open, Osaka – WTA 250 (October 14-20)
- Ningbo Open, China – WTA 500 (October 14-20)
- Erste Bank Open, Vienna – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
- Swiss Indoors, Basel – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
- Guangzhou Open, China – WTA 250 (October 21-27)
- Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis, Tokyo – WTA 500 (October 21-27)
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
