Tenacity. Rafael Nadal lived by that for decades; schooling competitors to imprint his name as a recording-setting player. But what happens when you mix a stellar career and athletic finesse in a blender with Saudi Arabia’s wealth? While the answer is rather simple, their masterclass of a gesture toward the Spaniard star went a long way to instill appealing emotions in the community.

Reeking of retirement hints all year, Rafa shocked fans after announcing his long-speculated retirement. Naturally, he wanted to go out with a bang. Before confirming his last dance to showcase at the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga, which kicks off on November 19 with his team Spain launching their quarterfinal attack against the Netherlands – Nadal was clear about his commitments at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh. What he was in the dark about, was the lavish gift presented to him by a Saudi sheik. And why wouldn’t he? The event’s winner Jannik Sinner walked away with a cool $6M.

During a sitdown with the ‘Serving Aces‘ podcast, Alexandra Stevenson lauded Saudi Arabia’s extravagant move to gift a gold racket, a life-size showpiece, to the Spanish legend; after he concluded his run at the exhibition. Iterating her thoughts further, the American sensation highlighted the Middle East’s lucrative investments into the sport as of late; explaining that it’s the perfect time for players to cash in on their rich vein of form from ‘The Kingdom’.

She said, “They presented Nadal with a golden racket. Saudis know how to give gifts. Look, there’s a lot of money that Saudi Arabia is going after. If you’re a top player right now, you can benefit from it. It’s a good time to be a tennis player. The Middle East is liking tennis.” For those unaware, the Spaniard was handed over the royal gift – valued at a jaw-dropping $270,000 and weighing in at 3 kilos of pure gold – by Turki Al Sheik. However, the 22-time Major champion faced trouble leveling with his counterparts in Riyadh.

Nadal narrowly missed finishing third in Riyadh; losing the contest to arch-rival Novak Djokovic. While the lucrative event housed giants like Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner, among others  – all eyes were set on the Spaniard. Following a similar agenda, Nadal earned fans’ attention once again by terming his noteworthy take on his ‘GOAT’ debate contestant.

Rafael Nadal dubs Novak Djokovic “the best” men’s player

Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal made strides of his own; a plethora of Grand Slam and tour-level titles speaks plenty. However, there’s one who upped him when it came to setting records and surpassing his illustrious resume. His arch-nemesis Novak Djokovic earned that, and surprisingly, continues to thrill fans with his formidability – at a time when an insurgent wave of young players has stormed the tour. Subsequently, Nadal heaped praise on his resilience.

Talking in an interview with ‘AS’, the former World No. 1 highlighted the Serb’s strength to keep up with the fast-paced game, all the while triumphing on the world’s biggest stages, readily justifies him being “the best” ever produced by the sport. “He’s a player who has managed to maintain a very high level and improve every year. The numbers show he’s the best, which means his tennis has also been the best. And he’s been the most injury-free, which allowed him to maintain his physical, mental, and tennis levels longer than anyone. That’s why he’s the best, and he’s earned it.”

With just days left for his retirement episode in Malaga, Nadal has been quite trending. The Spaniard has been flexing insights into his career and, with it, receiving farewell gestures from all around the globe.