Roger Federer has penned a heartfelt note for great rival Rafael Nadal ahead of the Spaniard’s final competitive tennis campaign at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals. Federer expressed his gratitude towards Nadal over the latter’s famed academies, where the Swiss’ children trained. He also revisited his own emotional 2022 Laver Cup farewell and thanked the Spaniard for being there.
The pair were the first two among the iconic Big Three to rise to the top of men’s tennis. The Swiss’ ascent came first, in the early 2000s, but from 2005, the Spaniard stepped up, and they eventually ended up producing one of tennis’ most important rivalries.
The Swiss and the Spaniard’s fierce rivalry captured global attention, particularly due to their contrasting styles on the court. While Roger Federer was widely regarded as an artist blessed with natural talent, Rafael Nadal adopted a never-say-die approach to the sport, grinding out results on sheer determination and grit. Surprisingly, despite being rivals, they always got along off the court.
The duo clashed on 40 occasions, with Nadal leading the head-to-head 24-16. Nine of those matches came in the finals of Grand Slams, six of which went the Spaniard’s way. With the 22-time Major champion being on the cusp of retiring from tennis, Roger Federer took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared his heartwarming emotions for his rival-turned-friend.
A part of Federer’s note focused on Nadal inviting the Swiss to the launch of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca in 2016. The 20-time Grand Slam winner mentioned his wife Mirka’s and his own happiness at their children training there. However, the Swiss hilariously added that he was concerned that his kids would return as left-handed players because of the Spaniard’s influence.
“I’m still grateful you invited me to Mallorca to help launch the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. Actually, I kind of invited myself. I knew you were too polite to insist on me being there, but I didn’t want to miss it. You have always been a role model for kids around the world, and Mirka and I are so glad that our children have all trained at your academies,” Federer wrote.
