Rafael Nadal shares how he would describe his relationship with Novak Djokovic off court as he prepares to retire

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Rafael Nadal opened up on his relationship with rival Novak Djokovic ahead of the Six Kings Slam.

The 38-year-old is in Saudi Arabia preparing for a blockbuster exhibition event featuring the 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, World number one Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune and Nadal’s Paris Olympics doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz.

The Six Kings Slam is the penultimate tournament of Nadal’s career before he retires from tennis following the conclusion of the Davis Cup finals.

It will bring an end to an illustrious 23-year career which was heavily intertwined with Djokovic’s career as they pushed one another to great heights.

How did Rafael Nadal describe his relationship with Novak Djokovic?

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were fierce rivals between 2006 and 2024, where they played one another 60 times.

They continuously pushed one another to improve and raise their levels to the point that they raised the standard of tennis. Their battles were always extremely physical and intense, but their on court rivalry never spilled off the court.

The pair have always maintained a healthy respect and admiration for one another despite their fierce battles, which is something Nadal alluded to during an interview with DAZN Sport when discussing his relationship with the Serbian.

“With Roger, of course, it has been special. But with Novak too, I have a good relationship. It’s the way you approach the sport,” he said.

“I think that’s possible because in the end we understand that it’s all you get. In life we have many more important things outside of tennis.

“At the end of the day, if you have a good relationship with the colleagues and people next to you, without a doubt in my experience you will be happier. At the end of the day tennis is only a game, relationships go beyond that.”

Does Rafael Nadal want to play Novak Djokovic at the Six Kings Slam?

On Thursday Nadal is set to begin the Six Kings Slam against either Alcaraz or Rune, before contesting one final match on Saturday.

Nadal and Djokovic squared off for the final time in a professional capacity at the 2024 Olympics Games, but there they could face another at the exhibition in Riyadh.

When asked about this possibility, after 60 gruelling encounters against the Serbian, Nadal did not seem too excited about possibly playing Djokovic again in the penultimate tournament of his career. “We have played plenty of times, we don’t need to play again,” he said with a smile.

“But it’s always been a big challenge, a great rival and he’s a player who has always been pushing me at the highest level, going through the limits. I think that’s the same feeling we have between each other.

“Both of us, with Roger too, we push ourselves to the next level because the opponent in front has always been very strong and we need to be improving all the time to compete at the level we need to enjoy that success.”