Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic has confessed that he regrets missing Rafael Nadal's final match as a professional tennis player. (Full Coverage | More Tennis News)291bet

Nadal bowed out at the Davis Cup Finals in November but Spain's defeat to the Netherlands in the quarter-final meant the planned farewell ceremony was unable to properly take place.

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The Spaniard's most fierce rivals – Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray – were due to attend the semi-final in Malaga but were forced to scrap the trip.

The Serbian said: "I don’t know the exact details as to how they envisioned the ceremony, but I know that the plan was to do it after the semis, if Spain were to go through.

"Murray and I planned to be there, we couldn’t fit the quarter-finals in our schedule, but we were a sure thing for the semis.

"Unfortunately, it turned out the way it did. I don’t know if Rafa maybe didn’t want to make too much of a fuss about it in order not to bother other teams' matches.

"I don’t know, to be honest, but I feel bad that I wasn’t there."

The 10-time champion advances to the second round for the 18th consecutive year @DjokerNole | @AustralianOpen | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/jA2tKL3ZR5

"This series is not just about the two teams playing; it's about reviving the spirit of hockey in Delhi. We hope this will inspire more young players from the region to take up the game," Harmanpreet stated in a press release issued by Hockey India.

Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey expressed his enthusiasm and stated: "This bilateral series against Germany will be a remarkable showcase of world-class hockey. Both India and Germany have a rich history in the sport, and this series will give fans an opportunity to witness an intense competition between two of the most formidable teams in the world.

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 13, 2025

Nadal beat his rival 5-4 in Grand Slam finals across their 16 years as competitors, claiming an 11-7 victory in major matches in total.

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Djokovic said he will treasure his last memories playing against Nadal, saying: "We were together on the court in Riyadh [at the Six Kings Slam]. That was the moment, a nice moment.

"I saw him play at Roland-Garros, we played each other at the [Paris] Olympics.

"The ceremony, if you want my opinion, wasn’t done properly.

"Maybe Rafa himself wasn’t sure whether he'd play or not, if he could play some more, and then maybe it was too late to do something bigger."

Djokovic is currently in Melbourne for the Australian Open and is due to play his second-round match against Jaime Faria on Thursday.291bet