Nadal plays final Davis Cup before retirement, Federer sends emotional tribute: NPR

At the 2005 French Open, Roger Federer congratulated Rafael Nadal after their semi-final. Now Federer congratulates Nadal on his looming retirement – and a fantastic professional career. Nadal plays in the Davis Cup, his final tournament, on Tuesday.

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Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

When we face big life moments, it is often people close to us who put things into perspective. So with tennis great Rafael Nadal, who is about to retire after one last Davis Cup tournament, who better than Roger Federer to put an incredible career – and a rare friendship – into perspective.

“You made me reinvent my game,” Federer, one of the greatest tennis players in history, told Nadal, another of the greatest tennis players in history, in a message shared on Instagram and other platforms.

“Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me – a lot,” Federer said. “More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could.”

Nadal ends his tennis career with the Davis Cup, where he and Spain face the Netherlands in a “Final 8” clash. He is scheduled to play Tuesday at 11 ET, in a match carried by the Tennis Channel. The tournament will be held in Málaga, Spain, from 19 to 24 November: the semi-finals are set for Friday and Saturday, with the final being played on Sunday.

Known for his pursuit of every single point in a match, Nadal has struggled with a number of injuries in his career, from feet and knees to hip surgery in 2023.

Because this is the knockout stage of the tournament, it is uncertain which match could be Nadal’s last. But it is certain that for Nadal, the 38-year-old who has won 22 Grand Slams, the week will bring an outpouring of tributes. None is likely to be more personal than the note from Federer, his Swiss on-court nemesis and off-court friend.

“As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I have a few things to share before I maybe get emotional,” Federer said.

Federer mentioned how he switched to a new racket head to seek a way to combat Rafa’s power and skill. He mentioned their grueling and exciting matches on the pitch, where they played together in front of tens of thousands of fans. He also mentioned … Nadal’s underwear.

“I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals,” Federer said of the notoriously particular and precise Nadal. “Collecting your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear… All with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved it all. Because it was so unique—it was so you.”

Federer returned to Nadal’s brash arrival in 2004 wearing a sleeveless red shirt, his famous biceps propelling him to victory over Federer, then a newly anointed no. 1. He talked about how their rivalry became a common path, one that ended with the two aging legends playing doubles together — and openly crying together — in Federer’s last major match, at the 2022 Laver Cup.

“Twenty years later, Rafa, I must say: What an incredible run you’ve had,” Federer wrote. “Including 14 French Opens – historic! You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud.”

“I want you to know that your old friend is always rooting for you and will cheer just as loudly for whatever you do next,” Federer said, signing his note: “Always the best, your fan, Roger.”