Rafael Nadal reflected on an "amazing rivalry" with Novak Djokovic and said he "would not be the player he is today" after losing their final meeting as professionals.

Nadal, 38, announced earlier this month that he will retire from tennis at the end of the season.

Serbia's Djokovic beat the Spaniard 6-2 7-6 (7-5) in their third-place match at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia.

The pair shared a warm embrace at the net at the end, while Nadal was presented with a golden tennis racquet as part of a post-match presentation in Riyadh.

"Thank you very much for all of the moments we shared on court during all of our careers - we have had an amazing rivalry," said Nadal in an interview conducted on court.

"You helped me to go over my limits so thank you for that, because without that, I would probably not be the player that I am today."

Nadal will represent Spain in his final appearance at next month's Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.

"What I will miss is almost everything," added Nadal, who won a record 14 French Open titles and 22 Grand Slams in total.

"It has been a dream come true to have been able to play for almost 20 years, being competitive and having the chance to play at the best places in the world.

"I realised my dream to become a professional tennis player and be a successful one. I can't thank people enough for the support and the love I've received all around."

Edinburgh: Wes Goosen; Darcy Graham, Matt Currie, Mosese Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe; Ross Thompson, Ali Price; Boan Venter, Paddy Harrison, Darcy Rae, Marshall Sykes, Grant Gilchrist (capt), Luke Crosbie, Ben Muncaster, Magnus Bradbury

Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Pierre Schoeman, Paul Hill, Jamie Hodgson, Hamish Watson, Ben Vellacott, Cammy Scott, Matt Scott

Sin bin: Gilchrist (31)

Cardiff: Cam Winnett; Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Mason Grady, Rory Jennings, Iwan Stephens; Callum Sheedy (capt), Aled Davies; Ed Byrne, Dafydd Hughes, Rhys Litterick, Josh McNally, Teddy Williams, James Botham, Thomas Young, Alun Lawrence.

Replacements: Evan Lloyd, Danny Southworth, Keiron Assiratti, Rory Thornton, Alex Mann, Mackenzie Martin, Johan Mulder, Ben Thomas.

Sin bin: Young (39), McNally (73)

Referee: Morne Ferreira (SARU)

Assistant referees: Fin Brown & Michael Todd (SRU)

TMO: Griffin Colby (SARU).

Connacht: O'Conor, Bolton, Hawkshaw, Aki, Cordero, Ioane, B Murphy, Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham, Joyce, D Murray, Prendergast, O'Brien, Boyle.

Replacements: Tierney-Martin, Dooley, Aungier, N Murray, Jansen, Blade, Forde, Gavin.

Leinster: Keenan, Turner, Ringrose, J Osborne, A. Osborne, Frawley, Gibson-Park, Boyle, G McCarthy, Slimani, Snyman, J Ryan, Deegan, Conners, Culhane.

Replacements: Smyth, Porter, Clarkson, Deeny, Penny, Gunne, R Byrne, Cooney.

Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)

Harlequins: Green; Isgro, Beard, Northmore, Murley; Smith, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, Launchbury, Lamb, Kenningham, Evans, Dombrandt (capt).

Replacements: Jibulu, Marler, Lewis, Herbst, Cunningham-South, Chisholm, Care, Evans.

Yellow card: Dunn (28), Pepper (60)

Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Butt, Emens; Russell, Spencer (capt); Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels, Pepper, Underhill, Barbeary.

Replacements: Annett, Van Wyk, Du Toit, Richards, Hill, Carr-Smith, Bailey, Coetzee.

Referee: Tom Foley

Neymar will return to Al Hilal's squad for their AFC Champions League Elite match next week after one year on the sidelines due to injury, the Saudi Arabian club announced Saturday.

Al Hilal made the announcement in a video on social media, with Neymar declaring, "I know you're anxious. I am too. On October 21st, I'm back."

Al Hilal will face Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates on Monday.

His marketing company NR Sports said in a statement on Saturday that the Brazilian's love for soccer and his hope to play in the next World Cup were bringing him back to action.

Al-Hilal is happy to announce that Neymar will join the squad for the away trip to Al-Ain

He's back @neymarjr pic.twitter.com/G9Lu4sZPaS

AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) October 19, 2024

"Though there's no final decision for his return, the number 10 will be able to play on Monday to carry on with his remarkable trajectory," the statement said.

Neymar signed for the Riyadh team in August 2023 and played just five games when he underwent surgery after rupturing his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty in October last year.

"These were days of pain, anguish, and a lot of longing for soccer, which were overcome with the help of family and friends, always present for our number 10. And all the fans around the world who gave him all support in social media networks," the statement added. "The wait is over."

A social media post also published on Saturday showed the 32-year-old speaking about his recovery and displayed footage of his efforts to come back.

"Every time I get injured, I come back. But I don't come back halfway," a tearful Neymar said in a video.

Neymar returned to training in July, but in September his club coach Jorge Jesus dampened expectations of an immediate comeback. The Portuguese coach did not confirm Neymar will play on Monday.

Neymar, whose two-year contract ends next August, is eligible to appear in AFC Champions League Elite matches as the continental competition has no restrictions on the number of foreign players allowed. That is not the case in the Saudi Pro League, which will see him back only in January.

If fit, Neymar could return to Brazil's national team in two rounds of South American World Cup qualifying scheduled for November.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A stunning strike from Vinícius Júnior helped Real Madrid to a 2-0 home win against Villarreal in LaLiga on Saturday as the defending champions provisionally moved level with leaders Barcelona in the standings.

Madrid  took the lead in the 14th minute with a deflected long-range shot by Valverde following a Luka Modric corner, before Brazilian forward Vinicius sealed the win in the 73rd with an unstoppable strike into the top corner from outside the box.

The win was marred late on for Madrid by a serious looking injury to defender Dani Carvajal, who was stretchered off in tears.

Madrid are second in the standings, level with Barcelona on 21 points before the LaLiga leaders visit 11th-placed Alaves on Sunday.

The defending champions were in need of a positive performance after losing 1-0 at Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday and being held to a 1-1 stalemate at Atletico Madrid in their previous LaLiga game.

Villarreal, who have made a strong start to their league campaign with five wins from nine games, are third with 17 points.

The visitors started brightly and Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin had to intervene eight minutes into the game to block a dangerous cross from Nicolas Pépé.

Valverde, however, earned an early advantage for the hosts when captain Modric set up the Uruguayan midfielder from a corner, and the ball bounced off a Villarreal defender and into the net.

Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé had further chances ahead of the break before the pace slowed down following the restart.

Villarreal, without their injured top scorer Ayoze Pérez who has six goals this season, were close to equalising shortly after the break when Álex Baena threatened Lunin's goal but only found the side netting.

Villarreal's defence managed to keep Vinícius at bay when the Brazilian grew into the game in the latter part of the first half.

However, the 24-year-old forward eventually found the net later in the second, scoring his fourth league goal of the season.

Real have avoided defeat in their last 41 LaLiga games, the second best streak by a team in the competition's history after Barcelona's run of 43 games unbeaten in 2018.

Villarreal managed 12 attempts in total, one more than the hosts but they still came away with nothing.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

Arsenal suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday as they fell 2-0 to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

The Gunners had control of the game until the 30th minute, when Leandro Trossard's careless pass left William Saliba in trouble before earning red for a foul that VAR deemed to have denied Evanilson a clear goalscoring opportunity. Some positive moments of goalkeeping by David Raya ensured Arsenal held Bournemouth scoreless by the break.

Antoine Semenyo was one of Bournemouth's brightest as the Cherries began to create chances, though he should have done better moments after the restart with an effort at the backpost that was struck off target.

Arsenal could have taken the lead with their best chance of the match when Mikel Merino intercepted Kepa Arrizabalaga's pass before picking out substitute Gabriel Martinelli, only for him to strike the ball straight at the goalkeeper. That miss proved to be costly as they went behind two minutes later, with Ryan Christie finishing off a well-taken Bournemouth corner.

An under-hit pass by Jakub Kiwior led to Raya giving away a penalty for the home side to double the lead through Justin Kluivert, and the Gunners looked resigned to defeat with Mikel Merino being withdrawn.

Positives

Merino enjoyed a bright performance despite the result, and he looks to be a strong fit for Arsenal's system. Declan Rice was also a standout in midfield with his defensive work.

Negatives

The absences of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka were noticeable in an Arsenal attack that didn't create many moments of promise. An upcoming suspension for William Saliba means he misses the next Premier League match against Liverpool.

Manager rating (1-10; 10 = best)

Mikel Arteta, 6 -- There was little Arteta could do after individual errors were punished, but he could have seen his side go 1-0 up on another day if substitute Gabriel Martinelli converted his chance.

Player ratings

GK David Raya, 5 -- Raya looked uncertain when claiming crosses and he also played a misplaced ball straight to Alex Scott in the first half. While he made some saves to keep the game at 0-0, an overall inconsistent evening was compounded when he gave away a penalty.

DF Gabriel Magalhães, 6 -- Gabriel cleared the danger on a number of occasions and registered a couple of blocks. Not as effective as usual from attacking set-pieces.

DF William Saliba, 4 -- Saliba looked in control before he was sent off following a VAR review after he pulled down Evanilson to deny a goalscoring opportunity. There was some distance to go, which could see the France international regret not using his pace rather than fouling.

DF Riccardo Calafiori, 6 -- Left Antoine Semenyo at the backpost moments into the second half, but was let off by a poor finish by the Bournemouth forward. His efforts helped create some half-chances at times when driving with the ball into midfield.

DF Ben White, 5 -- Beaten too easily at times and picked up a booking for timewasting with the score at 0-0.

MF Mikel Merino, 7 -- The Spain international was composed in possession, particularly in advanced areas, and he enjoyed some positive link-up play with Raheem Sterling before he was taken off after the red card. Took up intelligent positions to cut off passing lanes in the middle of the pitch, and created Arsenal's best chance when playing in Gabriel Martinelli following a well-timed interception on Kepa Arrizabalaga's pass.

MF Declan Rice, 7 -- Rice provided a strong anchor when Arsenal were looking to defend with 10 men, where he regularly anticipated play to clear the danger. Worked hard to make up for the numbers advantage, and tried to progress the ball into advanced areas.

MF Thomas Partey, 6 -- Progressed the ball impressively through the lines from defensive midfield, and also chose the right moments to drop into centre-back to create a back-three. Little he could do about either of the goals.

FW Kai Havertz, 6 -- Havertz worked hard and tried to make things happen with minimal service, with positive runs directly at the defence that led to some half-chances.

FW Leandro Trossard, 5 -- Trossard's poor pass to William Saliba led to the red card that made the game much more difficult for the Gunners. Ineffective overall, and replaced by Gabriel Martinelli in the 64th minute.

FW Raheem Sterling, 5 -- Stayed wide to stretch the pitch and had one moment during which he tried to cut inside and beat his marker, but didn't have enough opportunities to make an impact on the game. Replaced for tactical reasons after Saliba's red card.

Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating)

Jakub Kiwior (Sterling, 37"), 4 -- A match to forget for Kiwior, who struggled early on with the pace of Antoine Semenyo, and after he under-hit his pass to Raya before Bournemouth's penalty, he was taken back off the pitch by Arteta. He was not the solution Arteta had hoped for.

Gabriel Martinelli (Trossard, 64"), 5 -- It didn't take long for Martinelli to get involved with Arsenal's best chance of the game five minutes after coming in, but he should have done better with the finish that was straight at Arrizabalaga.

Gabriel Jesus (Kiwior, 81"), N/R -- Positive in possession and tried to make something happen by going alone with a dribbling run through the Bournemouth defence before he was eased off the ball.

Ethan Nwaneri (Merino, 81") N/R -- Introduced for Merino but Arsenal couldn't garner any control of the game to begin a late comeback.

Declan Rice lambasted Arsenal for their "naivety" this season following their 2-0 loss to Bournemouth in which they were reduced to 10-men for the third time this season.

The game at Vitaly Stadium turned on its head in the 30th minute when William Saliba was sent off for a foul on Evanilson near the halfway line after an awry pass from Leandro Trossard. The France international was initially shown a yellow card before a VAR check saw it upgraded to a red.

Bolstered by their man-advantage, Bournemouth began playing with greater attacking endeavour and found the breakthrough in the 70th minute through a well-worked Ryan Christie goal before a Justin Kluivert penalty condemned Arsenal to their first loss of the season.

"We've kicked ourselves in the foot three times in eight games and we got away with it at home to Brighton and away at Manchester City. Bournemouth kept probing and made it 2-0," Rice told Sky Sports after the game.

"I'm proud of the players for fighting, even with 10 men, but the naivety, we need to stop making mistakes because you want 11 players for 90 minutes and that's what wins you football matches.

"With 10 men we showed a lot of character and personality to stay in the game. The big chance was [Gabriel] Martinelli's and the keeper read it and made a great save and one minute later, normally a routine we are so strong at, has done us.

"We can't make silly mistakes. You need all your best players on the pitch at all times. The belief is so high and we will stick together. This is football, whatever happens the most important thing is that you stick together and stay in the right direction."

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, too, was left ruing the Martinelli chance, where the Brazil international failed to slot past Kepa Arrizabalaga from close range.

"We had the big chance and the moment in the game to score and have a different result and then we conceded a goal. We try to stick to the rules. The three [red cards] have been different ones and three very different outcomes," Arteta said.

"The team tried, the effort with 10 men was fantastic but today it was not enough to win the game. It took us a while to understand what we had do in the first 15 minutes to start with, then we grabbed the game but after 30 minutes the game changed."

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri quarterback Brady Cook returned from a midgame trip to the hospital to have an MRI exam on his ailing ankle and led his team to two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the go-ahead run by Jamal Roberts with 46 seconds remaining that gave the Tigers a 21-17 victory over Auburn on Saturday.

Cook was hurt on the opening series and did not return until late in the third quarter, after his hospital trip and a session in the nearby indoor practice facility, where Missouri coaches wanted to see whether his ankle could properly function.

"It was a long hour-and-a-half for sure. I did not think I was going to come back to play in the game. My stuff was off, my pads were off," Cook said later. "Ultimately, I realized I had 2 games left to play in Faurot Field. We were going to find a way."

The comeback began with Auburn leading 17-6, and Cook hit Theo Wease Jr. with a 72-yard pass, setting up Marcus Carroll's TD run. Then, as time was slipping away, Cook led a legacy-making drive that kept his team's College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Taking over at his own 5-yard line, and with 4:26 to go, Cook converted one third down by running on his sore ankle, then hit Luther Burden III on fourth-and-5 for another first down. Cook hit Wease later in the drive on third-and-10, then found Mekhi Miller inside the 10-yard line with just over a minute to go, setting up Roberts' go-ahead touchdown run.

"He could have sat out and watched the game from the sideline, or on TV," said Roberts, who stepped up big himself in place of injured starter Nate Noel, "and that showed the brotherhood we have here."

Cook finished with 194 yards passing in less than two quarters of play, while the Missouri defense repeatedly shut down Auburn (2-5, 0-4) when it had a chance to put the game away, holding coach Hugh Freeze's team to 286 yards total offense.

Payton Thorne finished with 176 yards passing and a touchdown. Antonio Kite recovered a muffed punt for Auburn's other TD.

"We seem to not make the right call as coaches or the right play from time to time in critical moments, and that's kind of been the story the whole year," said Freeze, whose team lost its first four SEC games in consecutive years for the first time.

What should have been a showdown between two efficient offenses -- Auburn averaging 444.5 yards and Missouri tops in the SEC in time of possession -- turned into a defensive slugfest thanks in part to injuries that ravaged the Tigers.

The biggest was to Cook, their steady senior, who slipped to the turf on the first series of the game. He got up and hobbled to the sideline, then up to the tunnel to the locker room -- and eventually the hospital and indoor practice facility.

"For all that criticism that young man takes, 12 sure would die on that field for everybody," Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said.

It was tied 3-all early in the second half when Auburn tried to seize control.

Cam Coleman ran past Missouri's Dreyden Norwood and Marvin Burks Jr., and Thorne hit him in stride down the middle of the field with a 47-yard touchdown strike to make it 10-3. Moments later, after Missouri had forced a punt, Burden was hit trying to field it and the ball skipped into the end zone where Kite pounced on it for another score.

Cook didn't know what had transpired -- cellphones weren't allowed in the hospital -- but he knew his team needed him, and the training staff did everything in its power to get him back on the field with time to make some magic happen.

"There's a lot of toughness in that team. A lot of young guys in that team that have never won like that before," Drinkwitz said. "There's a lot of fight in that team. And to figure it out like that bodes well for the rest of the year."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.