The eternal rivals, with whom he shared a part of his life, with whom and thanks to whom he rewrote the history of tennis: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray appeared on the big screen of the Palacio de Deportes José María Martín Carpena to celebrate the career of one of the greatest legends of the sport: Rafael Nadal. Among the many athletes who celebrated the Spaniard legend for his tennis farewell, the other three Fab 4 could not be missed.
“Congratulations on an incredible career. It was a pleasure to play with you and against you. One of my favorite memories is the Wimbledon final when you beat me,” said his friend and rival Federer, sportingly speaking of the epic final of the Wimbledon Championships 2008, and against whom Nadal played 40 matches (Rafa leads 24-16).
“Your tenacity, your fighting spirit, the energy and strength you brought will be studied and passed on to many, many generations. It was an honor to be your rival. The entire tennis world and the sports world in general will miss the incredible energy you showed on the court,” said the Serbian champion, against whom Rafa played 60 official matches (Nole leads 31-29).
Rafael Nadal© ITF YouTube video
Murray was amused to recall that he had never seen the Spaniard break a racket, but when it came to PlayStation matches, things went differently!
“Hi Rafa. I wanted to send you a quick message to say congratulations on the incredible career you’ve had. I’ve always been a huge fan of yours and it’s been amazing watching you, training with you and competing against you over the years. The passion and intensity you showed not only in matches but also in training is something that has inspired every player. We’ve learned a lot from you: to be humble, to work hard and most importantly, to respect everyone. You’re probably the only tennis player who has never broken a racket. That didn’t happen when you were playing PlayStation! I’ve seen you break joysticks all over the world. Enjoy your retirement, mate,” joked emotionally the Scot, against whom Nadal won 17 matches in 24 challenges played.