Roger Federer dedicates moving letter to friend Rafael Nadal, which also moved me
11/19/2024 04:01 AM
The moment of destiny has arrived: after this week tennis will be different, because there will be no more Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to play on their beloved tennis courts. The curtain falls on the duopoly that has rewritten the history of tennis, that has thrilled millions of fans around the world. It will happen these days in Malaga, at the Davis Cup Finals, when the Spanish champion, in front of his crowd, will give his farewell to tennis, after a long and glorious career.
It is not yet known whether Federer will reach Malaga to support his friend and rival of a thousand battles, but the Swiss Maestro has already honored Rafa with a beautiful letter, shared through his social media, and that you can read below. These are moving words, which tell of a friendship, a rivalry, an era that has experienced strong changes, both in tennis and in everyday, social and economic life. A twenty-year period in which we have seen tennis change and, at the same time, the world. And in Roger's words to Rafa, an emotion that we all carry within us resonates. I do not deny that I shed a tear, reading Federer's letter.
"As you prepare to graduate from tennis, I have a few things to share before I get emotional. Let's start with the obvious: You beat me, a lot. More than I ever beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, I felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game, even changing the size of my racket head, hoping for an advantage.
I'm not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals. Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear. All with full intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved it all. Because it was so unique, so you. And you know what, Rafa, you made me appreciate the game even more. OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I reached the No. 1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was at the top of the world. And I was, until two months later, when you stepped out onto the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and beat me convincingly. All that hype I had heard about you, this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, who would probably win a major one day, wasn’t just hype.
We were both at the beginning of our journey and we finally did it together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: what an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 historic French Opens! You’ve made Spain proud, you’ve made the entire tennis world proud. I keep thinking about the memories we shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half grass and half clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. We always cracked up. We would tire each other out on the court and then sometimes we would almost literally have to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies.
I am still grateful that you invited me to Mallorca to help launch the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. In fact, I almost invited myself! I knew you were too polite to insist I be there, but I didn’t want to miss out. You have always been a role model for kids all over the world and Mirka and I are so happy that our kids all trained at your academies. They had so much fun and learned so much, like thousands of other young players. Although I always feared that my kids would come home playing left-handed tennis.
And then there was London, the Laver Cup in 2022. My last match. It meant everything to me to have you there by my side, not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court 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 stretch of your epic career. We will talk about it when it is over. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and your team, who have played a huge role in your success. And I want you to know that your old friend is always rooting for you, and will be rooting just as hard for everything you do next."
Vamos, @RafaelNadal! As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional. Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I…
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) November 19, 2024
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
