Rafael Nadal believes that “a part of his life left” with Roger Federer when his nice rival retired from the game — with each gamers left an emotional wreck on courtroom after the Swiss performed his final ever aggressive match in September on the Laver Cup.
The two, who between them have received 42 Grand Slam singles titles, joined forces in a doubles match for Federer’s swansong on the Laver Cup in London.
Following the conclusion of that match, pictures of each gamers weeping throughout the submit match ceremony went viral.
“Someone I have admired, who I have rivalled and also I have shared many beautiful things on and off the court was leaving,” Nadal advised reporters forward of an exhibition match in Argentina.
“In that sense, all those moments, those feelings you have before playing a final of a Grand Slam, of an important tournament, everything that was in the air before those matches. It was different from other matches.
“You know you’re not going to live that again and a part of my life left with him (when he retired). It was also the emotion of saying goodbye to someone who has been so important to our sport.”
The 36-year-old Spaniard is on an exhibition tour of South and Central America alongside Norwegian Casper Ruud.