“Come on, Rafa. As you prepare to retire from tennis, I have a few things to say before I lose my temper. Let’s start with the obvious: You beat me a lot. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, I felt like I was in your backyard and you made me work harder than I ever thought possible. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racket head in the hopes of gaining some advantage.
I'm not superstitious, but you took it to a whole new level. Your whole movement, placing the water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your clothes... all with the utmost concentration. Secretly, I kind of love that, because it's so unique. That's you.
After the 2004 Australian Open, I was ranked number one for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was - until two months later, when you walked out in Miami with bulging biceps and beat me convincingly. The rumors I heard about you were not exaggerated.
20 years later, Rafa, I have to say: You have had an incredible journey. You have made Spain proud, you have made the tennis world proud.
I think about the memories we shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing on half grass, half clay. Breaking the attendance record with over 50,000 people in Cape Town, South Africa. I am still grateful to you for inviting me to Mallorca for the opening of the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. Actually, I invited myself. I didn’t want to miss that opportunity.
You are a role model for kids all over the world, and Mirka and I are so glad that our kids are training at your academy. They have had a blast and learned so much - like thousands of other young players. Although I always worry that they will play left-handed.
And then there's the London-Laver Cup in 2022. My last match. It meant so much to me to have you by my side - not as an opponent but as a doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career.
And I want you to know that your old friend has always been and will be cheering you on in everything you do next. All the best, your fans, Roger.”
