Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will renew their chronicled on-court rivalry at the Six Kings Slam on Saturday (October 19). The likely final instalment between the duo will be the 61st encounter between them.
Nadal had earlier announced his decision to hang up his racket after this year’s Davis Cup final, scheduled to be played later in November.
The Spaniard has struggled with injuries in recent years, managing only sporadic play between the lay-offs. He has played in six tournaments this year, with his best result coming at the Swedish Open, where he made the summit clash before losing to Nuno Borges.
His season’s win-loss has come to a total of 12-7. Playing at the exhibition Six Kings Slam, Rafael Nadal lost the semifinal encounter to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.
Djokovic, meanwhile, has had a more eventful tournament and year. The Serb, while still in the hunt for a first Tour-level title, has made a Slam final at Wimbledon and won the elusive Olympic singles gold medal. He was up against Alcaraz in both those finals.
Here at the Six Kings Slam, he fought hard against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner only to falter 2-6, 7-6(0), 4-6. The Serb has now lost his last four meetings against the Italian. Three of them have come this season itself.
This will be the second meeting between Djokovic and Nadal this year. The Serb beat his famed rival en-route to the gold at the Paris Olympics. Nadal had won their last meeting prior to that, winning in straight sets in the 2022 French Open quarterfinals.
Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal Six Kings Slam 2024
schedule
Fixture: Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal
Time: October 19, 2024 (Saturday) at 12:30 pm ET/5:30 pm BST
Venue: The Venue, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Six Kings Slam 2024: Channels and Live streaming details
Tennis fans around the globe can catch the action live on DAZN, which has gained worldwide broadcasting rights for the Six Kings Slam.
DAZN is accessible in the following countries: Germany, Austria, Brazil, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the United States, Canada, and Japan.
The highly anticipated exhibition event can also be streamed on TennisChannel.com and T2.
In the MENA regions, Bein Sports will air the live coverage. In the United Kingdom, fans can also catch all the action on Sky Sports.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here