Tennis fans rarely root for Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to lose. But in this scenario, their losses worked out for the best. Nadal and Djokovic are scheduled to play each other on Saturday afternoon in the Six Kings Slam’s third place match.

On Thursday afternoon, Djokovic lost to Jannik Sinner in a hard-fought three-set match. Both players battled exhaustion as they had just faced each other a few days prior in the Shanghai Masters finals.

Later on Thursday evening, Nadal lost to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets. The match was hardly competitive, but it gave the friends and former doubles teammates one last chance to compete against each other.

So, once again, Nadal and Djokovic are scheduled to face off. The two rivals have played each other 60 times, with Djokovic winning 31 of the matches.

Nadal and Djokovic have faced each other in all four Grand Slam finals, with Nadal holding a narrow 5-4 lead in major finals. The two contemporaries have faced each other every year from 2006 to 2022 and in 2024.

The last time they met, Djokovic defeated Nadal in the 2024 Paris Olympics on the clay courts of Roland Garros.

Of course, the Six Kings Slam is just an exhibition and will not be included in the ATP record books. Nevertheless, it adds another exciting chapter to one of tennis’s greatest rivalries and serves as a fitting sendoff to Nadal, who plans to retire after the Davis Cup.

Fans can stream the match for free on DAZN and the Tennis Channel app. After the Nadal-Djokovic showdown, Alcaraz and Sinner will compete in the Six Kings Slam finals. The winner of the friendly tournament takes home $6 million.

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