The Six Kings Slam will gather a stellar field in Riyadh between October 16 and 19. Rafael Nadal arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday night, preparing for the penultimate tournament of his career. The Spaniard is already linked to sports development in the Kingdom, and the crowd in Riyadh will have one last chance to see him compete as an active player in a couple of days.
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Back in January, Rafa embarked on an exciting new venture, becoming the ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation. This strategic collaboration aligns with Nadal's commitment to nurturing the next generation of young athletes in this region after opening his academy in Kuwait.
Thus, the 22-time Major winner will play a pivotal part in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative to encourage increased participation in tennis and other sports among boys and girls in the Kingdom. Rafa will travel to Saudi Arabia annually to unveil his tennis complex and oversee a junior tennis clinic in Riyadh.
This initiative strives to deliver hands-on training and guidance to aspiring young athletes, boosting their development within tennis. Nadal and coaches from his tennis Academies will impart their knowledge and inspiration to Saudi teams associated with the Olympic & Paralympic Committees, contributing to the overall growth of the sport in the desert country.
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Nadal will skip the quarter-final round at the Six Kings Slam and battle against Carlos Alcaraz or Holger Rune in the semi-final. The 22-time Major champion will end his career at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga between November 19-24, competing in the national jersey two decades after debuting.
The Spanish captain, Davis Ferrer, is eager to see Rafa play the singles against the Netherlands, and the legend will give everything to prepare and help his country chase the first Davis Cup title since 2019. Nadal finished the 2022 season ranked 2nd behind Carlos Alcaraz after winning two Major titles.
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Rafael Nadal will compete at the Six KIngs Slam in Riyadh this week.
However, he struggled in the second part of the year, losing form and confidence ahead of a career-threatening injury.
The veteran injured his left hip at last year's Australian Open, missing the rest of the season and undergoing surgery. Eager to terminate his career on his terms, Rafa embraced 19 singles matches this year, reaching one minor final but failing to recover his well-known game.
Nadal fell to Novak Djokovic at the Olympic Games and took a break to think about his next moves. The legend announced his retirement a couple of days ago, ending his career after 23 years on the professional circuit. Rafa completed the most extended break of his career in the first week of 2024 in Brisbane, reaching the quarter-final.
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The Spaniard blew three match points against Jordan Thompson and fell after three and a half hours, feeling the pain around his hip and missing the Australian Open. Nadal suffered another blow in February, injuring his abdominal muscle and missing all the action before Barcelona.
The king of clay scored five wins in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, playing miles below his best and gathering dark clouds ahead of the Roland Garros.
The 14-time winner met world no. 4 Alexander Zverev in the first round and experienced a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 loss in three hours and five minutes. Rafa missed his chances in the second set on his beloved Court Philippe-Chatrier, notching his earliest defeat in Paris.
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The Spaniard missed the grass swing and remained on clay, traveling to Bastad for the first time since winning the title in 2005. The king of clay stopped the clock and defeated four rivals en route to his first ATP final in over two years.
Nadal battled past Mariano Navone in just under four hours and endured another challenging duel to book a place in the title clash, becoming one of the oldest clay-court finalists in the Open era. Rafa lost steam and took only a couple of games against Nuno Borges, finishing runner-up and heading to Paris for his final Olympic Games.
Returning to his beloved Roland Garros, the Spaniard felt the pain in his right thigh, missing a couple of practice sessions and hoping for the best ahead of the matches.
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Nadal defeated Marton Fucsovics in the opening round, facing his greatest rival, Novak Djokovic, in the second. The Serb was the favorite, and he proved that on Court Philippe-Chatrier following a 6-1, 6-4 triumph. Novak outplayed Rafa in every segment in the opening 11 games, forging a 6-1, 4-0 advantage and marching toward the top.
Raising his level, Nadal pulled a double break back and cracked an incredible forehand winner in the eighth game to lock the result at 4-4 and increase the drama. Still, Djokovic stayed composed and grabbed a break in the ninth game for another advantage.
Novak sealed the deal on his serve at 5-4, moving into the third round and beating his great rival for the 31st time in 60 encounters. Rafa skipped the US Open and the Laver Cup before announcing his retirement. The crowd will watch the Spanish warrior in Riyadh and Malaga before he terminates his incredible tennis journey, giving everything to our sport and sailing into a well-deserved retirement.
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https://t.co/vND8uMQ974#BigTime#RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/UON9QFQdL5 TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) October 13, 2024
