The Swiss tennis legend describes his new rival as a “friend” and praises Nadal highly.
Tennis legend Roger Federer sang a farewell song of praise to his former great rival Rafael Nadal. “What an incredible career you have had. With 14 French Open titles – historic! You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud,” Federer wrote on social networks before Nadal’s upcoming retirement at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
{
“placeholderType”: “MREC”
}
“You challenged me in a way that no one else could,” Federer continued: “On clay it felt like I was entering your garden, and you made me work harder than I ever thought possible would have.”
He “always thinks about the memories we shared with each other,” said the Swiss, who won 20 Grand Slam titles in his career, two fewer than Nadal: “We wore each other out on the court and had to then often support each other at the award ceremony.”
Federer also left the best wishes for Nadal’s next phase of life. “Your old friend will always cheer you on, even in whatever you do next,” wrote Federer, describing himself as a “fan” of the Spaniard.
{
“placeholderType”: “MREC”
}
Nadal (38) would like to end his career at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga with a title with the Spanish team. However, the end could already be certain on Tuesday (5 p.m./DAZN) – in the event of a defeat against the Netherlands. In his statement, Federer left open a personal appearance in Malaga, which had been speculated about in recent days.
The Swiss and the Spaniard – the two most successful players after Grand Slam record champion Novak Djokovic – fought countless thrilling final duels at the most important tennis tournaments, especially in the 2000s and 2010s. Nadal won 24 times and Federer 16 times. In the late stages of their careers, both players also developed a friendship. When Federer said goodbye to the tennis stage at the Laver Cup in 2022, Nadal also shed tears.
“It meant everything to me that you were there by my side – not as my rival, but as my doubles partner,” Federer wrote: It will forever be “one of the most beautiful moments” of his career.
2024-11-19 15:26:00