RIYADH: Novak Djokovic requested long-time adversary Rafael Nadal to defer his planned retirement from the game as the duo faced each other in what was likely to be the final chapter of their “amazing rivalry” on the court through the years.

“Don’t leave tennis, man,” said Djokovic in an on-court interview after beating Nadal in straight sets 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at the “Six Kings Slam” exhibition in Saudi Arabia. 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. The Serbian player’s remarks follow Nadal’s October 10 announcement where he said that he would bid farewell to the game after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month. Djokovic and Nadal - two of the sport’s famed “Big Three” along with Roger Federer had faced each other 60 times on the main tour exhibition match, with Djokovic holding a narrow 31-29 edge. After being presented with a golden tennis racket, Nadal in turn thanked Djokovic for the “amazing rivalry” and “for all the moments that we shared on court”.