- Roger Federer posts lengthy, heartfelt tribute to ‘historic’ Rafa Nadal
- The Spanish tennis legend is about to embark on retirement at the age of 38
- Federer and Nadal played out some of the sport’s greatest matches across the couse of their rivalry
Roger Federer has paid an incredible tribute to an incredible rival as Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal readies for retirement.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner, who himself retired two years ago while playing alongside Nadal in a Laver Cup doubles match, took to Instagram to wax lyrical about the 38-year-old Spaniard, with who, he shared a historic rivalry for 15 years.
Nadal will bring the curtain down on his 22-Grand Slam career at the Davis Cup in Malaga, this week. The King of Clay, who racked up an astonishing 14 French Open titles, will go into the record books as arguably the greatest to ever step foot on a tennis court, clay or otherwise.
Playing each other 40 times across the course of their rivalry, widely considered to be one of the greatest in all of sports, Nadal led Federer 24-16 overall, defeating the Swiss icon in 14 finals (and losing 10 others in return). It is undoubtedly this competitiveness, combined with their friendship off the court, which led Federer to pay such a glowing tribute to the Spaniard, earlier today.
“As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional,” Federer began, “Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me – a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no-one else could.”
When you’re so good that you make Roger Federer ‘reimagine’ his game, you know you’re pretty special, as Federer himself admitted during his tribute.
“You made me reimagine my game – even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.”
Federer would triumph over Nadal in the pair’s final encounter, at Wimbledon, in 2019, but it would be Nadal who would triumph over the already mighty Roger Federer in their first outing against each other, in 2004.
“After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was – until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly.
“All that buzz I’d been hearing about you about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday – it wasn’t just hype.
“We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens – historic!
“You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud.”
As well as his dominance on clay at the French Open, Nadal also won two Australian Open titles, two Wimbledon championships and four US Opens.
