“You have made the entire tennis world proud.” Federer sends message to Nadal, who is retiring

Twenty-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer sent a message to the Spaniard Rafael Nadal who will soon retire.

Nadal’s last tournament will be the Davis Cup Final Eight, which will be held in Malaga from November 19 to 24. During his career, the Spaniard won 22 Grand Slam singles tournaments and won two Olympic gold medals.

“As you prepare for the end of your tennis career, I want to share a few things before you get emotional.”

Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me. More times than I have managed to defeat you. You challenged me in a way that no one else could. On clay, I felt like I was walking into your backyard, and you made me work harder than usual just to stay in my place. You made me rethink my game, even changing the size of my racket, in hopes of gaining an advantage.

I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took this to a new level. Your whole process. All these rituals. Assembling water bottles like toy soldiers, straightening hair, underwear. All this with maximum concentration. It was so unique, so in your own way.

And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more.

Okay, maybe not right away. It was the first time I had been ranked number one since the 2004 Australian Open. I thought I was on top of the world. And so it was – until two months later, when you showed up on the Miami field in your sleeveless red jersey, showing off your biceps, and made out with me.

All this talk I’ve heard about you, this incredible young player from Mallorca, a generational talent who will probably win a major tournament one day, it wasn’t just hype.

We were both at the beginning of our journey, and by the end we traveled it together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I must say: what an incredible journey you have had! You have made Spain proud. You have made the entire tennis world proud.

And then there was London – the Laver Cup in 2022. My last match. It meant everything to me to have you by my side. Not as a rival, but as a partner. Sharing the field with you that night and sharing those tears was a special moment in my career.

Rafa, I know you are focused on the final stage of your epic career. We’ll talk about it when this is all over. At this point, I just want to congratulate your family and your team who played an important role in your success. “And I want you to know that your old friend still supports you and will be just as loud for everything you do in the future,” Federer wrote on the social network.

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