Sportsmanship was a big part of Rafael Nadal’s professional career. The recently-retired tennis great was known for never smashing rackets and always paying opponents the respect they deserved, even in the heat of a high-stakes rivalry.

He famously cried alongside perhaps his greatest-ever tennis rival, Roger Federer, after the Swiss’ last match at the 2022 Laver Cup. And Federer sent a heartfelt message in the opposite direction before Nadal’s farewell at the Davis Cup Finals this week.

According to Rory McIlroy’s testimony, Nadal’s sporting behaviour is not strictly confined to the world of tennis. The Spaniard is a big golf fan and was quick to offer McIlroy a word of support in one of his toughest moments earlier this year.

McIlroy has four major titles to his name, but he has not won one for more than a decade despite consistently being one of the best players on the planet throughout that time.

He came agonisingly close to breaking that duck at the US Open in June, before making three bogeys in his final five holes – including a costly miss on the 18th – to throw away a two-stroke lead and concede the title to Bryson DeChambeau.

When McIlroy was asked which of his well-known friends offered their encouragement, the Northern Irishman cited basketball legend Michael Jordan and, of course, Nadal.

“MJ was maybe the first person to text me after I missed the putt on the 18th hole,” McIlroy explained. “But both of them [Jordan and Nadal] got in touch very, very quickly.”

Back in 2011, when Nadal was in his mid-twenties and McIlroy even younger, the tennis icon made it clear that he was rooting for the golf up-and-comer to win what, at that point, was his first major title. And McIlroy went on to deliver at Congressional Country Club in Maryland.

“Rory is an inspiration, I admire him a lot,” said Nadal. “I love watching Rory. What he’s doing is really something unbelievable. I met him in New York last year.

“I love golf and follow the tour almost every week. He has probably one of the nicest swings in the world, if not the nicest. Always, I will be supporting him in the final round because I think he deserves the title. He deserves to win a major because, in my opinion, right now he’s playing at a different level than the rest.”