Rafael Nadal posted a note on social media Thursday in response to Roger Federer’s retirement announcement.
Federer announced Thursday that he will retire from the ATP after the Laver Cup.
The 41-year-old underwent another knee surgery last year and became unranked this year as he missed events. He last played in Wimbledon in 2021, where he reached the quarterfinals.
Over his career, Federer competed with Nadal, and later Novak Djokovic, as his biggest on-court rivals. There has been a sense of friendship, camaraderie and professionalism between Federer and Nadal despite their rivalry. That friendship showed in Nadal’s statement.
Nadal, 36, is still going strong as he won the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year, giving him a record 22 majors, but he knows after seeing Federer’s announcement that he’s not far behind when it comes to retirement.
The Laver Cup, an event Federer created, will feature the “Big Four” from Federer’s era. That will involve Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray competing for Team Europe.
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