“You helped me love the game even more”… In a letter, Roger Federer pays tribute to Rafael Nadal, soon to retire

The Davis Cup, the last tournament of the Spaniard's career, begins Tuesday in Malaga.

Rafael Nadal's last racquet hits on the professional circuit are imminent. “The Bull of Manacor” is preparing to play the last tournament of his career, in this case the Davis Cup, the final phase of which begins Tuesday, November 19. Just before entering the arena, the latter received a letter in the form of tribute from the greatest rival of his storied career, Roger Federer.

The Swiss text, published on his Instagram account, begins with these words: “You beat me, a lot of times. More than I beat you. On clay, I felt like I was stepping foot in your backyard and you made me work harder than I needed to. 'never imagined. You pushed me to reinvent my game, even changing the size of my racket..

Federer proclaims his love for the Spaniard's superstitious tics and, in a joke, confides to him his fear of seeing his children return from the Nadal academy with the desire to play with their left hand. “You helped me love the game even more (…) What an incredible career you had. You made Spain and the entire Tennis world proud”supports “Roger”. In 40 “Fedal” (24 to 16 for Nadal in their duels), the two players marked the history of tennis forever.

“After the 2004 Australian Open, I was world No. 1 for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And you arrived two months later in Miami in your red T-shirt sleeveless, visible biceps, to fight in style”remembers Roger Federer, unwinding the thread until the day of his retirement, spent alongside Rafael Nadal, then doubles partner for the 2022 Laver Cup. “It meant everything to me that you were there, not as an opponent but as a doubles teammate. Sharing this court and these tears with you will forever remain one of the most beautiful moments of my career”he continues.

The Spaniard will not have the chance to retire from the courts alongside his biggest rival. He will do it under the colors of Spain alongside Carlos Alcaraz in particular. For the first match, against the Netherlands, on Tuesday, Nadal's presence has not yet been confirmed. “What I want is for the team to be competitive and to be able to win the Davis Cup. My best goodbye would be the joy of winning with everyone. But I don't know if I will play a match or not. I haven't played much lately.”he warned on Monday at a press conference.