On Tuesday, Roger Federer honored his retiring adversary Rafa Nadal by telling the Spaniard that he challenged him like no other player and that, over the course of a dazzling career spanning more than 20 years, he had made the tennis world proud.
Nadal is a member of the Spanish team that will play the Netherlands in the Davis Cup later on Tuesday. The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who is beset by injuries, is expected to retire following the team competition in Malaga.
Along with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Federer was one of the “Big Three” of men’s tennis. He wrote a letter on X reflecting on his battle with the 38-year-old.
The obvious should come first: you defeated me—a lot. I beat you more than I was able to.
