Novak Djokovic helped Fernando Verdasco extend his tennis career as they earned a dominant victory in their opening doubles match at the Qatar Open.
Former world No. 7 Verdasco recently announced he would be retiring at this week’s Doha ATP 500, asking Djokovic to team up with him in his last tournament.
After joining forces for Verdasco’s farewell, Djokovic and the Spaniard beat Alexander Bublik and Karen Khachanov 6-1 6-1.
Verdasco had not played a match since September when he confirmed he would be retiring at the Qatar Open. The 41-year-old has barely competed in recent years and has already started coaching some players, but he has yet to properly end his playing career – until now.
“After so many incredible years on the ATP Tour, the time has come for my final tournament at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2025,” the Spaniard wrote on Instagram ahead of the tournament.
“And what better way to finish than playing doubles with my friend Novak Djokovic , a true legend of our sport and one of the best athletes of all time. @djokernole thank you so much for saying yes since the first moment I told you.”
After receiving a wildcard into the doubles draw, Djokovic and Verdasco were pulled out to face fellow singles specialists Bublik and Khachanov in their opening match.
While Verdasco might have been prepared for an emotional farewell, Djokovic helped him extend his playing career as they raced through the match, needing just 48 minutes to win and dropping only two games.
The duo received a loud ovation as Djokovic stepped up to serve for the match. He got the job done, sealing victory to keep Verdasco in professional tennis for another couple of days.
They had a warm handshake with Bublik and Khachanov at the net before embracing one another and celebrating the win while the fans chanted their names.
Afterwards, Verdasco grabbed the microphone to address the crowd and joked that he should retire on a high.
“I have to say that maybe after this match, I shouldn’t play second round and I just go, retire, winning one of one. Maybe it’s the best thing ever,” he laughed.
But Verdasco confirmed he was still planning to take to the court for his second match with Djokovic. He added: “Thank you so much for coming today. See you on Wednesday.”
The retiring star and Djokovic will have their work cut out for them in the next round as they face No. 2 seeds and recent Australian Open champions Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.
Djokovic has also got his singles campaign to think of. The Serb faces Matteo Berrettini in his opening match, in what will be a rematch of the 2021 Wimbledon final. He is seeking his 100th career singles title but is still happy to help Verdasco retire on a high in doubles.