Error code: %{errorCode}

Tennis

'It is special!' - Rafael Nadal reflects on Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic relationship ahead of Six Kings Slam

'It is special!' - Rafael Nadal reflects on Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic relationship ahead of Six Kings SlamJulian Finney / Getty Images
The Big Three will be two men down at the end of the year when the Spaniard closes out his career in tennis.

Rafael Nadal believes his positive relationships with rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic stem from their efforts to enjoy life beyond tennis.

The Spaniard will feature alongside the Serbian in Riyadh Season's Six Kings Slam, live on DAZN this week, alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and more.

The event comes as Nadal prepares to retire from professional tennis, with November's Davis Cup Finals set to be the final appearance of a glittering career.

Tributes from Federer and Djokovic, in the wake of another old rival in Andy Murray retiring, have now given the chance for the 38-year-old to explain their close bond.

"Of course, with Roger, it is special, but it is with Novak too," he told DAZN. "It is the way that you approach the sport.

"I think that's possible because we understand that's all we get. In life, we have many more important things outside of tennis.

"At the end of the day, if you have a good relationship with your colleagues, with the people next to you, without a doubt, my experience is that you would be happier.

"At the end, tennis is only a game. Relationships go beyond that."

Nadal will make his Six Kings Slam bow on Thursday, against the winner of Alcaraz and Holger Rune's first round clash.

He will then compete in either the final or the third-place match on Saturday, depending on the result of his first encounter.

Watch the Six Kings Slam on DAZN

Six Kings Slam square version

DAZN is broadcasting the whole Six Kings Slam tournament for free, in over 200 countries across the globe.

You just need a freemium DAZN membership. Register here for a free DAZN account to watch Six Kings Slam

You can watch the Six Kings Slam on any device, including Smart TV's, game consoles, phones, tablets and PC's

More tennis

Watch on YouTube