Novak Djokovic leaves Rafael Nadal emotional with 'Don't leave tennis' plea

He added that their battles over the years had been "very intense"

Novak Djokovic implored long-time rival Rafael Nadal to put off his planned retirement after defeating the Spaniard Saturday in what was likely to be the final chapter of their storied rivalry.

"Don't leave tennis, man," Djokovic said in an on-court interview after beating Nadal in straight sets 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at the "Six Kings Slam" exhibition in Saudi Arabia.

He added that their battles over the years had been "very intense" and told Nadal he hoped they could one day "sit on a beach somewhere" and have a drink.