Novak Djokovic became emotional after the end of their last singles encounter at the ‘Six Kings Slam’ exhibition in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. 

“Don't leave tennis, man,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview after beating Nadal 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) in their last storied rivalry. 

He added that their battles over the years had been ‘very intense’ and told Nadal he hoped they could one day ‘sit on a beach somewhere’ and have a drink.

Nadal, 38, announced on 10th October that he would retire from tennis after the Davis Cup finals in Malaga next month.

Djokovic and Nadal, two of the famous ‘Big Three’ along with Roger Federer in the world of tennis, had faced each other 60 times on the main tour before Saturday's exhibition match, with Djokovic holding a narrow 31-29 edge.