Roger Federer pays tribute to Rafael Nadal ahead of retirement with emotional message

Roger Federer has paid tribute to Rafael Nadal up of the Spaniard’s status from tennis, revealing their rivalry made him “enjoy the crippled adjacent more”.

The 38-year-old bows retired with 22 Grand Slam titles to his name, with six of those coming with last wins implicit Federer, arsenic the brace went toe-to-toe for astir 2 decades.

Nadal finished connected apical successful that rivalry, winning 24 of the 40 matches betwixt the two, but the 2 became progressively adjacent arsenic their careers progressed, with Nadal successful tears during Federer’s status ceremonial aft they teamed up to play doubles successful the Laver Cup successful 2022.

Ahead of Spain’s Davis Cup quarter-final necktie against the Netherlands, which could beryllium the last lucifer of Nadal’s career, Federer posted a agelong connection connected societal media, hailing Nadal’s interaction connected some him personally and the wider athletics aft an “epic career”.

Federer said: “As you get acceptable to postgraduate from tennis, I’ve got a fewer things to stock earlier I possibly get emotional.

“Let’s commencement with the obvious: you bushed maine - a lot. More than I managed to bushed you. You challenged maine successful ways nary 1 other could. On clay, it felt similar I was stepping into your backyard, and you made maine enactment harder than I ever thought I could conscionable to clasp my ground.

“You made maine reimagine my crippled - adjacent going truthful acold arsenic to alteration the size of my racquet head, hoping for immoderate edge.”

Nadal archetypal played Federer astatine the 2004 Miami Open, winning successful consecutive sets, and helium came retired connected apical successful six of the archetypal 7 matches betwixt the two.

The Spaniard bushed Federer successful the last of the French Open successful 2006, 2007 and 2008, establishing the dominance astatine Roland Garros that would spot him triumph the rubric 14 times successful Paris.

“You cognize what, Rafa, you made maine bask the crippled adjacent more,” Federer continued.

“OK, possibly not astatine first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the archetypal time. I thought I was connected apical of the world. And I was—until 2 months later, erstwhile you walked connected the tribunal successful Miami successful your reddish sleeveless shirt, showing disconnected those biceps, and you bushed maine convincingly.

“All that buzz I’d been proceeding astir you - astir this astonishing young subordinate from Mallorca, a generational talent, astir apt going to triumph a large someday—it wasn’t conscionable hype. We were some astatine the commencement of our travel and it’s 1 we ended up taking together.

“Twenty years later, Rafa, I person to say: What an unthinkable tally you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud... you made the full tennis satellite proud.”

Federer hailed Nadal arsenic a “role exemplary for kids astir the world”, though joked helium was disquieted his ain children would commencement playing left-handed aft grooming astatine the Spaniard’s tennis academy successful Mallorca.

He added that it “meant everything” to person Nadal alongside him astatine the Laver Cup for his ain tennis farewell, arsenic helium reiterated his admiration for the Spaniard.

“I conscionable privation to congratulate your household and team, who each played a monolithic relation successful your success,” Federer said.

“And I privation you to cognize that your aged person is ever cheering for you, and volition beryllium cheering conscionable arsenic large for everything you bash next.”