Beyond the world of tennis, sport in general is preparing to witness a historic moment this week in Malaga with the final of the Davis Cup.
This will be the last tournament of Rafa Nadal before hanging up his racket for good, and despite the fact that the Spaniard wants to withdraw his abandonment of focus, Martín Carpena exudes emotion and feeling from all four sides.
Without yet knowing if he will play against the Netherlands, Roger Federerhis friend and great rival, dedicated to him a moving letter which, we warn you, will make you swallow, hold your breath and perhaps make your eyes wide with wonder.
On social networks, the former Swiss tennis player published a letter in which he looks back on his career with Rafa, starting with Miami 2004 and ending with the Laver Cup 2022.
Full letter from Federer to Nadal
Come on, Rafa! As you prepare to graduate from tennis, I have a few things to share before I get excited.
Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me… a lot. More than I managed to gain from you. You challenged me like no one else could. On clay, I felt like I was walking into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could, just to keep going. You made me reinvent my game, even going so far as to change the size of my racket headhoping for an advantage.
I’m not a very superstitious person, but you’ve taken it to the next level. Your entire process. All these rituals. Gathering your water bottles like toy soldiers in training, combing your hair, adjusting your underwear… All this with maximum intensity. Secretly, I loved everything. Because it was so unique, it was so you.
And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more.
Well, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I reached first place in the rankings for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And he was, until two months later, when You walked onto the Miami field in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off your biceps, and you beat me convincingly.And. All this noise I had heard about you, about this incredible young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, who would probably win a major tournament one day, was not just publicity.
We were both at the beginning of our journey and it was a trip we ended up doing together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I must say: what an incredible streak you experienced! Including 14 Roland Garros, historic! You have made Spain proud… you have made the entire tennis world proud.
I keep thinking about the memories we shared. Promote sport together. Play this match half grass, half clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record in front of over 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. We always made each other laugh out loud. We were tired on the field and then, sometimes, we literally had to stand during trophy ceremonies.
Thank you again for inviting me to Mallorca to help launch the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. In fact, I invited myself. I knew you were too polite to insist that I be 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 our children trained in your academies. They had a great time and learned a lot, like thousands of other young players. Although I was always afraid that my children would come home playing tennis left-handed.
And then there was London, Laver Cup in 2022. My last match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side, not as a rival, but as a doubles partner. Sharing the field with you that night and sharing those tears will forever be one of the most special moments of my career. Rafa, I know you are focused on the final part of your epic career.
We’ll talk when it’s over. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and your team. They all played a fundamental role in your success. AND I want you to know that your old friend always cheers you up. and it will continue to encourage you with the same force in everything you do next. It’s Rafa! Greetings and always, your fan Roger.
