Remember the electrifying 2009 Happy Slam? That was the tournament where Fernando Verdasco announced his name to the tennis world – and in what spectacular fashion! Battling none other than Rafael Nadal in an unforgettable five-hour five-setter thriller, the Spaniard left it all on the court in a match for the ages. A player who had never reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam before, he carved his name into tennis history with that epic run. And now, almost 25 years later, as the Spanish warrior bids farewell to the court, Serbian GOAT Novak Djokovic is there to send him off with a farewell worthy of his legacy.

At 41, Verdasco made a surprise return to the ATP Tour after a hiatus since September 2023, receiving a wildcard entry to compete at the Qatar Open. Teaming up with Novak Djokovic, the Spanish veteran stepped back onto the court with nostalgia and determination. Their tournament began dominantly, as they cruised past Alexander Bublik and Karen Khachanov with a commanding 6-1, 6-1 victory on R16. However, their run came to an end yesterday when they faced the duo of Henry Patten and Harri Heliövaara, falling 7-5, 6-4. And, right after the match, the Olympic gold medalist took a moment to share his heartfelt appreciation for Verdasco, honoring his contributions to professional tennis.

After yesterday’s QF loss, the 24-time GS winner took to Instagram to honor Verdasco with two back-to-back stories. First, he reposted an image from “TSH Tennis”, which showcased a striking side-by-side comparison of himself and Verdasco playing 20 years apart. Alongside the nostalgic throwback, Djokovic simply added, “Running back the years … Gracias Fer 💪🏼🙌🏾”, marking the moment with a touch of sentiment.

In his second story, he shared a post from the Davis Cup’s official IG page, which highlighted their last singles encounter at Roland-Garros 2018 and their unexpected reunion as doubles partners in the 2025 Doha clash. Once again, Djokovic captioned it with “Felicidades guapo on an incredible career. Great competitor, great champion, great ambassador. An honor to share your final match, amigo. Take a bow, @ferverdasco”, a subtle yet powerful nod to their journey and the moment they shared on the court.

Turning pro in 2001, Verdasco has come full circle on his illustrious professional tennis journey. Though it took him nearly ten years to break into the ATP Top 10 (April 2009), the Spaniard carved out an impressive career, capturing 7 ATP singles titles and 8 doubles titles along the way. One of his greatest contributions to Spanish tennis came in the Davis Cup; he played a key role in securing Spain’s three championships (2008, 2009, 2011). And his biggest individual triumph? The 2010 “Barcelona Open”, where Verdasco outlasted Robin Söderling in the final, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, to claim one of the most prestigious clay-court titles of his career.

So, the former No. 7 Verdasco bids farewell to professional tennis on a high note, sharing the court with none other than Novak Djokovic in his last tournament in Doha. However, while Verdasco’s farewell was a moment to cherish, current ATP world No. 7’s Doha return didn’t go as planned as the Serbian suffered a shocking first-round exit, marking an unexpected turn in his comeback campaign.

“I am trying to improve my game,” Novak Djokovic opened up after his first-round loss at Doha

This was not the start the Serbian would have hoped for in the new season, especially after his grueling AO semifinal walkover last month! Facing Matteo Berrettini for the fifth time in his career, holding an already dominant 4-0 H2H record, Novak Djokovic was expected to continue his streak in the R32 match at Doha. But in a stunning twist, the Italian Berrettini turned the tables, defeating Djokovic in straight sets 7-6(4), 6-2. Shocking, isn’t it? Chasing his historic 100th ATP title, Djokovic struggled to contain the Italian’s 75 percent first-serve rate and 13 aces, which proved too much to handle for the 37-year-legend. And, following the match, the two-time Qatar Open champion (2016, 2017) opened up about his surprising performance, shedding light on what went wrong in his Doha return after the Down Under setback.

“I am trying to improve my game, as everybody else. But my game is not going to change now drastically. I’m not going to play serve and volley, maybe every once in a while, but my game is what it is, the core is going to be the same. I’m going to try to adjust depending on the surface that I play on and so forth. There are more injuries. Things are not the same as 10 years ago, 15 years ago. I still try to take care of my body on a daily basis, and it’s more challenging now, no doubt. I still try to do my very best, given the circumstances,” Novak explained.

Novak is next set to compete in the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, a tournament he has previously won five times. Can he secure his 100th trophy this time at his familiar territory? Share your thoughts below!