Rafael Nadal pays incredible tribute to ‘friend and rival’ Roger Federer as Swiss great retires: ‘It’s a sad day for me’

For a major part of their career, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal shared one of tennis’ most celebrated rivalries. The duo met each other on 40 occasions, with Nadal finishing with a 24-16 lead over the Swiss tennis great. Despite their gruelling encounters on the court, the duo continued to share a healthy friendship and enjoyed each other’s successes; and so, as Federer announced his retirement from competitive tennis on Thursday, the Spanish tennis legend posted a heartwarming note on his official Twitter profile.

Nadal said it was his “pleasure and honor” to play against Federer and wished him well for the future.

Also read: Watch: Wimbledon shares Roger Federer’s emotional 2003 interview after his first-ever Slam title as Swiss great retires

“Dear Roger,my friend and rival. I wish this day would have never come. It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world. It’s been a pleasure but also an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court,” wrote Nadal.

“We will have many more moments to share together in the future, there are still lots of things to do together, we know that. For now, I truly wish you all the happiness with your wife, Mirka, your kids, your family and enjoy what’s ahead of you. I’ll see you in London,” Nadal further wrote.

Nadal will team up with Federer for the one final time when the duo, joined by Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsistipas, and Andy Murray, will represent Team Europe against Team World.

Federer and Nadal are the only players in men’s tennis history to have finished at no.1 and no.2 in ATP rankings for six successive years. Nadal led in the clay court duels against Federer (14-2), while Federer finished with a 3-1 lead on grass against the Spanish star. In outdoor hard court, Nadal ended with an 8-6 lead. The two, however, never met at the US Open.