Roger Federer Hails Nadal’s "Epic" Career as Retirement Nears

Roger Federer paid tribute to Rafael Nadal ahead of his retirement, calling his long-time rival’s career “epic” and stating that Nadal made the entire tennis world proud. Nadal a 22-time Grand Slam champion is set to retire at age 38 after representing Spain in the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Federer, who retired in 2022 with 20 Grand Slam titles reflected on their rivalry which saw him win 16 matches and lose 24 against Nadal.

In an emotional Instagram post, Federer praised Nadal’s impact on his career, admitting that Nadal made him work harder than anyone else especially on clay courts which Nadal dominated. Federer also shared how their rivalry helped him evolve his game, mentioning how he changed his racquet head size in response to Nadal’s play. Federer reminisced about their first meeting in 2004 where a 17-year-old Nadal defeated him and their final match in 2019 which Federer won at Wimbledon.

He called Nadal’s 14 French Open titles “historic” and praised his consistency and dedication to the sport. Serena Williams also honored Nadal, expressing her admiration for his career and his legacy. She shared a video wearing Nadal’s branded gear, saying she was fortunate to have played during his era. Other players including Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka showed their respect for Nadal with Swiatek expressing emotion after seeing him tear up during the national anthem.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal shared an emotional moment at the 2022 Laver Cup, playing doubles together in Federer’s final match. Federer closed his tribute by saying that he will always be cheering for Nadal and his future endeavors. The French city of Paris also commemorated Nadal by projecting his images against the Eiffel Tower.