“Showing off those biceps…”: Roger Federer pens emotional note for retiring Rafael Nadal

One of the greatest players of all time, Rafael Nadal, is preparing to say 'au revoir' to the game that made him a legend. The man who dominated the French Open as if it was his backyard ended an illustrious career with a Davis Cup Final 2024 win. The entire sporting fraternity became emotional after seeing Nadal hold a tennis racket for the last time as a professional. Although the sporting world will miss him when he retires from the game, he has no rival who will enjoy his exit. Roger Federer, arguably Nadal's biggest rival on the tennis court, has penned an emotional note as the 38-year-old prepares for his final encounter on court.

In his nearly 600-word post, Federer recalled the first time he faced Nadal on a tennis court, when the boy from Mallorca stepped onto the clay court and made it his. Here is his post:

Vamos,

@RafaelNadal!

As you get ready to graduate from tennis, before I get too emotional, I have a few things to share.

Let's start with the obvious: You beat me up a lot. More than I managed to defeat 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 thought I would to hold my ground. You forced me to reimagine my game—even changing the shape of my racket head in hopes of gaining an edge.

I'm not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your entire process. All those rituals. Collecting your water bottles like toy soldiers, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear… all with the highest intensity. Secretly, I loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique – it was you.

Vamos, @RafaelNadal,

As you get ready to graduate from tennis, before I get too emotional, I have a few things to share.

Let's start with the obvious: You beat me up a lot. More than I managed to defeat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I…

– Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) 19 November 2024

And you know, Rafa, you make me enjoy the game even more.

Okay, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I felt like I was on top of the world. And I was – until two months later, when you walked onto the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off your biceps, and you completely defeated me. The buzz I was hearing about you – about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, maybe someday going to win a major – it wasn't just hype.

We were both at the beginning of our journey and this is the journey we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: what an incredible race you have had. Including 14 French Open-Historical! You made Spain proud… You made the entire tennis world proud.

I keep thinking about the memories we shared. Promote sports together. Playing that match half on grass, half on clay. Broke the all-time attendance record by playing in front of over 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always keep taunting each other. Wearing each other down on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally catching each other during trophy ceremonies.

I'm still grateful that you invited me to Majorca to help launch the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. In fact, I invited myself. I knew you were polite enough not to insist on me being there, but I didn't want to miss it. You have always been a role model for children around the world, and Mirka and I are very happy that all of our children have trained at your academies. Like thousands of other young players, he had a lot of fun and learned a lot. However, I was always worried that my children would come home from playing tennis as lefties.

And then there was London-the Laver Cup in 2022. My last match. It meant everything to me that you were with me – not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night and sharing those tears will always be one of the most special moments of my career.

Rafa, I know you are focusing on the last phase of your illustrious career. We will talk when it is completed. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team who played a huge role in your success. And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and he'll be cheering just as loudly for whatever you do next.

Rafa that!

Always the best, your fan,

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