Jannik Sinner's victory over Novak Djokovic means he will face Carlos Alcaraz for the fourth time this year in Saturday's 6 Kings Slam final. Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, is set for one last dance with Dj

Carlos Alcaraz likely just played his tennis idol Rafael Nadal for the last time in their professional careers during Thursday's semifinal match of the Six Kings Slam. Although the score makes it look like Alcaraz ran away with the match at 6-3, 6-3, the 21-year-old admitted he still had to play his best in order to beat the 22-time major champion.

The 38-year-old Nadal, who announced last week he would retire from tennis after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga in November, lost 6-3, 6-3 to the 21-year-old Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia.

Six Kings Slam free live stream and how to watch as Rafael Nadal takes on Carlos Alcaraz in what will be the final meeting between the pair with the tennis legend set to retire later this year.

At the Laver Cup last month, Carlos Alcaraz complained that the tennis schedule is "going to kill us". But this week the Spaniard, who has only played two ATP events since the US Open, is playing the £11.5m Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia where Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic are also competing for the £4.6m first prize.

Rafael Nadal starts his pre-retirement farewell tour against Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday at the Six Kings Slam, and Novak Djokovic faces Jannik Sinner at the exhibition event that awards money but no ATP ranking points and is Saudi Arabia’s latest foray into tennis.

Rafael Nadal, in his first match since announcing he would be retiring after the Davis Cup next month, lost 6-3, 6-3 to Carlos Alcaraz at the Six Kings Slam on Thursday.

Carlos Alcaraz will try to enjoy facing “idol” Rafael Nadal for one last time at an exhibition tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Alcaraz is in Riyadh for the lucrative 6 Kings Slam, which is not an ATP-sanctioned event but has Nadal,

Nadal will play Djokovic again on Saturday after the Serbian great lost a much tighter match to Australian Open and US Open champion Jannik Sinner, who prevailed 6-2, 6-7 (0/7), 6-4 and will take on Alcaraz in the final.

Tennis fans do not care if today's match between Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal does not count in the ATP record books. It was a historic and beautiful ending to one of the sport's friendliest rivalries.