Rafael Nadal has called time on his professional tennis career, thus bringing the curtains down on one of the most extraordinary careers the sport has ever seen. Nadal dominated the men’s side of the sport for close to two decades along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the Big 3, with his retirement leaving only the latter as an active player.

Nadal’s rivalry with Federer was an especially storied one. It was the Spaniard who first broke Federer’s dominance in the sport in the 2000s before Djokovic’s rise. The pair first met in the third round of the 2004 Miami Masters. Federer was already World No.1 at the time while Nadal was just 17 years old and yet, the latter ended up winning the match in straight sets. Over the years, the pair have met at a number of crucial encounters that have decided Grand Slam titles and notably, they have also developed a mutual respect and friendship for each other.

With Nadal now retiring, Federer paid tribute to his great rival in the reply section to the Spaniard’s post announcing his decision. “What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come. Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honour!” said Federer. Nadal said in the post that he will end his professional career after turning out for Spain in the Davis Cup finals in November.

Nadal had ensured that he was there when Federer retired from the sport at the 2022 Laver Cup, playing a doubles match with the Swiss great. They lost the match to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe and that was Federer’s last professional match.

“When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too,” a tearful Nadal had admitted at the time. “Very proud to be part of his career but even for me happier to finish our career as friends after everything we shared on court as rivals.”

“I can call up Rafa and talk about anything,” said Federer at his London farewell. “We enjoy each other’s company. We have a million topics to cover. I always feel like any evening we ever spent together we never have enough time.” When Nadal equalled Federer’s haul of 20 Grand Slam titles by lifting his 13th French Open in 2020, the Swiss described it as the “greatest achievement in sport”.