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• Nadal ready for 'nostalgic' last meeting with Djokovic

  Rafael Nadal is looking forward to playing Novak Djokovic one last time when they meet in the third-place play-off of the 6 Kings Slam exhibition event on Saturday.

  The Spaniard lost to his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets on Thursday and was applauded off after the defeat in what is his penultimate tournament.

  However, it has teed up one final meeting between the great rivals, who are the only male players to have faced each other 60 times in the Open Era.

  They last met in the second round at the Paris Olympics, with the Serb coming out on top, earning his 31st win despite Nadal's late fightback.

  At the time, that looked to be their last dance, but Nadal is excited to go head-to-head with him once again.

  "To have Novak in front [of me], it's like a nostalgic thing," said Nadal, who has won 29 of his 60 meetings with Djokovic.

  "Playing against Novak has always been a big challenge, [he is] a great rival. He is a player who has always pushed me to the highest level, taken me to the limit.

  "We've played each other a lot, so it'll be fun to play each other again one more time in this match. Hopefully, we can create a good show and good level of entertainment."

  Nadal will play his final tournament at the Davis Cup Finals next month, where he will represent Spain in Malaga.

  It will mark the end of a glittering career in which he won 22 singles grand slam titles, with only Margaret Court, Novak Djokovic (24 each), and Serena Williams (23) winning more across the ATP and WTA.

  The 38-year-old also ended 13 different years in the top two of the ATP World Rankings, more than any other player throughout the Open Era.

  Nadal is set to play in the doubles at the Davis Cup but is still undecided whether or not he will compete in the singles.

  "Emotionally, I'm sure I'll be ready. Physically and in terms of tennis level, there remains a month left to prepare," he added.

  "I will try to be in good shape to help the team to win. If I don't feel ready for the singles, I'll be the first one to say.

  "Be 100% sure, I will not be on court if I don't feel ready to win my match."

• Alcaraz beats Nadal in emotional 6 Kings Slam semi-final

  Carlos Alcaraz will face Jannik Sinner in the final of the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, having overcome an emotional Rafael Nadal in his penultimate tournament before retirement.

  Nadal drew plenty of admiration from the crowd in Riyadh and was applauded off after a 6-3 6-3 defeat, which ensured he will face great rival Novak Djokovic in a third-place play-off on Saturday.

  Alcaraz set the tone immediately by breaking to love in the very first game of the encounter, though Nadal found his feet to keep things competitive in the opening set.

  Alcaraz hit a neat forehand to bring an end to a mammoth four-deuce game on Nadal's serve to take the opener, but the 22-time grand slam champion refused to go down without a fight, holding to love at the start of the second set. 

  However, Alcaraz smashed a magnificent forehand down the line to go a break up at the second opportunity, and despite Nadal producing some memorable moments – including one cultured backhand at the net – he held firm for a 78-minute victory.

  Nadal will team up with Alcaraz to represent Spain at the Davis Cup next week, at the final tournament of his glittering career. 

  Data Debrief: Headline clashes teed up

  Sinner's victory means he will face Alcaraz for the fourth time this year in Saturday's final, with the Spaniard having won all three previous meetings in 2024.

  Nadal, meanwhile, is set for one last dance with Djokovic, who he has faced 60 times in official tour-level competitions, winning 29 times and losing on 31 occasions.

• Sinner repeats Djokovic success to reach 6 Kings Slam final

  Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic for the second time in five days to tee up a final clash with either Carlos Alcaraz or Rafael Nadal at the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia.

  Sinner, who beat Djokovic en route to his triumph at the Shanghai Masters last week, overcame the 24-time grand slam champion again in three sets on Thursday.

  The world number one picked up where he left off in Shanghai with a break in the very first game of the encounter, then another break seven games later saw him seize the opener in emphatic fashion, only dropping two points on his own serve.

  Djokovic roared back in the second set, though, recovering from another early break before producing a flawless tie-break performance to level things up.

  The decider was a far more even affair, Djokovic forcing two break points at 3-2 up before the momentum switched, with Sinner getting the better of the 37-year-old through three straight breaks of serve to wrap up a two-hour, 27-minute victory.

  Data Debrief: Sinner maintains Djokovic streak

  While Thursday's win at the inaugural exhibition event in Riyadh will not count towards the pair's official ATP Tour head-to-head record, Sinner maintained his fine recent form against Djokovic.

  He has now won his last four matches against Djokovic overall, and five of his last six.