Wink, mischievous smile and hug. Beautiful frame, but a dull goodbye to this great rivalry that ends in the format of an exhibition, far from the historical settings that have accompanied it and in the middle of a checkered crowd, between white tunics and black veils. Now, the Djokovic-Nadal match is over, the most repeated, even and fierce fight in the history of tennis. The result does not matter this appendix of Saudi Arabiathis time favorable to Belgrade (6-2 and 7-6(5), after 1h 31m). At stake, between honor and nothing. Gone are the 60 previous (official) episodes of maximum intensity between the two fiercest competitors of all time, pure fire, of indelible memory for the fan. The serial began 18 years ago in the genuine setting of Paris and now ends in the synthetic setting of Riyadh, in the middle of a strange and somewhat unnatural atmosphere. Anticlimactic. On the limit every time they saw each other on the other side of the net, this time there was no adrenaline or emotion.
Nobody knows better than tennis players where they are and how far they can give. So, respectfully, Djokovic temporized knowing that this last issue was nothing more than a last-minute artificial addition and the two legends ended up hugging, because at the end of the day they are what they are and are where they are due to the effect of that feedback that is so distant and enriching for both: Nadal would not have gone this far without Nole, just as he probably would not have multiplied without the permanent encouragement of the Spaniard. Mutual admiration and a few last words before burying the hatchet. “I have the utmost respect for you, Rafa. Incredible athlete and person,” said the Serbian, owner of 24 large ones. “You helped me go above my limits for more than 15 years, so thank you because otherwise I wouldn’t be the player I am today,” responded the Spaniard, with only two majors less (22) in the bag.
This wonderful saga closes in a framework that does not do it justice, in an episode that is more commercial than glossy – it will not be registered in the official box – and with a tone rather decaffeinated by the circumstances. In any case, the photo remains. The tentacles of money reach the end of the world. Nadal and Djokovic, together on a court for the last time, performing in different seasons despite the fact that in generational terms they have shared practically the entire journey. The Serbian, 37, still has the strength and physique left to attempt the assault on the umpteenth record, knowing that the clock is already starting to play against him and that competitively, two new outliers who begin the journey have placed themselves ahead; The Mallorcan, 38, is already focusing on his goodbye, scheduled for next month in Malaga. There the final farewell will take place, but in order not to lose the old customs, not without unknowns towards the date.
Nadal has only been able to play intermittently this season and after the summer sips in Bastad and the Paris Games he gave up continuing to compete to concentrate on making the final decision: the time has come. The parenthesis, therefore, is added to those previously made by force and the consequence is a sketch. Beyond the fact that the exhibition format does not invite taking any risks, this Nadal from Riyadh has had nothing to do with the traditional Nadal, nor with the one who landed in May at Roland Garros with the edge still enough to refute At that time, top tennis players such as Alexander Zverev, executioner then. That episode closed, doubts and more doubts, and an Olympic confrontation with Nole that already hinted at a great imbalance. Aware of his current state, the Spaniard logically does not recognize himself and it remains to be seen how he will maneuver in the Davis Cup.
There, under the cover of the Martín Carpena, there will be a lot at stake beyond the goodbye. That is to say, a party, yes, but just the right one. The priority for the Spanish team and for Nadal himself is the underlying objective, to raise a seventh Salad Bowl, so that regardless of the farewells, responsibility will prevail. This is how the protagonist himself slipped it after the bolus Thursday against Alcaraz. “On an emotional level I will be prepared, but in physical and tennis terms I don’t know. I still have a month ahead of me. I’m going to prepare for it, I will try to arrive in good shape to help the team win. If I feel ready and the captain (David Ferrer) thinks the same, it will be his decision, but if I don’t feel ready, I will be the first to step away from the individual and see how else I can help. If I’m not 100% or I’m far from winning my match, I won’t go out on the court,” the man from Manacor said.
The fact is that today, the Spaniard logically lacks legs, rhythm and lucidity, a little of everything. So, decorous with a rivalry that has historically sparked and tension everywhere, it seemed that Djokovic chose not to push and take his foot off the accelerator so that the afternoon would have some substance. Nadal was immediately seen to be uncomfortable with himself, with his game, with his serve, with his shots; It was impossible in other times to have that succession of balls into the net and into the hallway, the double faults and the slowness of reflexes. Two breaks marked the first set and the second offered another point of discussion, when the Spaniard’s engine gained some heat and his arm found direction. There, yes, a couple of spectacular exchanges and a trademark wrist blow – running, parallel, ball to the angle – to extend the action, finally resolved by the Balkan in the tiebreaker.
“Our rivalry has been very intense, so I hope we can meet in some paradise to remember all this. It has been an honor to share the track with you again. You deserve everything you have achieved, you leave an incredible legacy; thank you from the entire tennis world. Stay a little longer, don’t leave him,” Djokovic demanded, before Nadal took the microphone, wished him luck and definitively sealed a golden age that is now history, with the initial withdrawal of the Swiss Roger Federer two years ago and the announced departure of the second totem in just over a month. From 2006 to 2024, on four of the five continents and reaching unsuspected heights of play, they always pushed each other incessantly. Praise for friction. Nadal and Djokovic, the great classic. Inspired by each other: “Congratulations on your degrees and your career. I wish you the best for the future.”
