Roger Federer reacts to Rafael Nadal's retirement: 'Hoped this day would never come!'

Tennis legend Roger Federer has penned an emotional message in response to Rafael Nadal’s announcement of retirement from the sport.

“What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come,” Federer wrote. “Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honour.”

In 2022, a poignant image of a tearful Federer sitting beside his long-time rival Nadal as they reflected on the final moments of Federer’s professional career captured hearts and went viral.

Federer was the first of the ‘Big Three’—Federer, Nadal, and Novak Djokovic—to retire, signaling the gradual end of one of tennis’s most remarkable eras.

One of the most memorable matches between the two icons was Nadal’s victory over Federer at Wimbledon in 2008. Nadal triumphed 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 in a four-hour-48-minute epic, securing his first Wimbledon title. This match, regarded by John McEnroe as the “greatest match ever,” was the longest Wimbledon final in history at the time.

With this victory, Nadal claimed his first Grand Slam title outside of Paris, where he had already secured four championships at Roland Garros. Additionally, he made history by becoming the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.