Last Updated:November 19, 2024, 15:38 IST

As Nadal geas up to drop the curtain on is illustrious career, Federer expressed his admiration for the southpaw, shedding light on their iconic rivalry that enthralled tennis fans for nearly 15 years

Roger Federer has shared a heartfelt note for Rafael Nadal who is set to retire from professional tennis after featuring in the 2024 Davis Cup final on home soil. As part of the Spanish team, Nadal will be seen in action on November 19 in Malaga. Ahead of his last tournament, Federer expressed his admiration for Nadal, shedding light on their iconic rivalry that enthralled tennis fans for nearly 15 years. The two legends had teamed up in the 2022 Laver Cup where Federer played the final game of his career. Reminiscing about those golden days, the Swiss star sent an emotional message to Nadal via an Instagram post featuring the caption– “Vamos Rafa.”

“As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional. 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. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground,” Federer wrote in his statement.

The 43-year-old further recalled the time when he first achieved the no. 1 ranking after the 2004 Australian Open. “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,” he added.

Moreover, Federer congratulated Nadal for dominating the French Open over the years. The Spaniards have triumphed in the clay-court major 14 times– a record that may remain unbroken for ages. “You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud,” Federer admitted.

The two rivals were spotted together during the inauguration of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca in 2016. Along with thousands of other young players, Federer’s children also took training from Nadal’s academies which are spread across the world. “Although I always worried my kids would come home playing tennis as lefties,” Federer quipped on his note.

Federer and Nadal clashed against each other 40 times on tour, with the first match taking place at the 2004 Miami Open. Nadal won the hard-court match in straight sets. The duo last faced in the 2019 Wimbledon semi-final where Federer had the last laugh.