Rafael Nadal's retirement tour began with a straight-sets defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the 6 Kings Slam exhibition event in Riyadh, meaning that he will face Novak Djokovic one last time in the third-placed playoff.
The 22-time major winner - who confirmed earlier this month that he would be calling time on his distinguished career after November's Davis Cup Finals knockout stage - put up a valiant fight against his compatriot but fell to a 3-6 3-6 loss in one hour and 18 minutes.
In his first match since his emotional retirement announcement, Nadal lapped up the adulation from the Riyadh crowd, who cheered every point that the 38-year-old won with unbridled enthusiasm.
Nadal converted a few wonderful cross-court forehands that Alcaraz - who is extremely competent at such a shot himself - would have been proud to hit, but in the end, the youthful energy of the Wimbledon and French Open winner overwhelmed his experienced foe.
Alcaraz did not face a single break point against Nadal and advanced to the showpiece event on his first match point as a backhand return from the 38-year-old landed long, but it was all smiles and embraces from the two compatriots at the net.
Nadal's 6 Kings Slam adventure does not end with Thursday's defeat, though, as the 14-time French Open winner will contend a blockbuster third-placed match on Saturday with old foe Djokovic, in what will be the 61st meeting between the two all-time greats.
Djokovic beaten by Jannik Sinner in three-set semi
Carlos Alcaraz beats Rafael Nadal to reach the final of the Six Kings Slam! 👑#RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/bck7orkkK5
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) October 17, 2024
Before Nadal and Alcaraz's headline encounter, Djokovic saw a second-set fightback count for nought against world number one Jannik Sinner, going down 2-6 7-6[0] 4-6 to the Italian trailblazer.
The pair were reuniting just a few days on from Sinner's emphatic victory in the final of the Shanghai Masters, and the Australian and US Open champion ran away with the first set in no time.
However, Djokovic stunned Sinner in the second-set tie-breaker with a perfect 7-0 performance, before twice breaking back straight away in the third set after losing serve to Sinner.
The Serbian had no response to the Italian's sixth break of the contest in the ninth game, though, as Sinner advanced to yet another championship match versus Alcaraz, where the winner will pocket a staggering £4.6m, the biggest prize in tennis history.
As well as the 6 Kings Slam - which Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev were eliminated from on Wednesday - there was British interest in Japan and Almaty, although Katie Boulter and Dan Evans both fell short.
The former lost 6-7[2] 5-7 to Beatriz Haddad Maia in the last 16 of the Ningbo Open, while Evans took a pulsating first set against Almaty top seed Frances Tiafoe before being eliminated 7-6[10] 6-7[4] 3-6.
Ben Knapton
