Rafa Nadal recounted his emotion for Roger Federer’s retirement and unveiled an incredible anecdote of the day that took away a historical record

After three days of a historic tennis match like the last of the Swiss Roger Federer as a professional, Spanish Rafael Nadal, who accompanied him on the pitch, told about the exciting moment. In an interview with the site The big game of COPEthe 36-year-old player still in force on the ATP circuit, told what were the reasons for his excitement, his relationship with Roger and his future as a tennis player.

The images spoke for themselves. A crowded stadium, with emotion and tears during the Laver Cup where the Swiss player’s last match as a professional took place. But the crying was not only of the spectators, but after finishing Roger’s last dance, the 3rd place on the ATP rankings burst into tears.

“I’m a sensitive person, when you see someone you appreciate saying goodbye, it’s hard not to get excited. It got out of hand and the worst part is that when i went to my room i got excited again. It was unlikely that this would not happen for everything that was experienced that night, “said the 36-year-old Spaniard about the emotion he showed after the last match of His Majesty.

Rafa and Roger were contemporaries and protagonists of a golden age of tennis where they fought for the top three places together with the Serbian Novak Djokovic. At that moment, despite being rivals on the pitch, they managed to forge a great friendship and the Spaniard was struck by the farewell of the Swiss of the professional circuit.

Federer and Nadal sat together on the bench, holding hands and tears streaming down their faces. The Spaniard, who appreciated the last match of the Swiss playing doubles with him, said that it is a relationship that “has been beautiful from the beginning and that over the years has been strengthened“He also added it “A bond of friendship has been created that will last”.

Although in his career he once wished that the Swiss would not win titles as he was one of his top competitors, he clarified: “When he wins I get excited and cry at home to see beating someone like Federer for whom I have great appreciation. He makes me move and cry “.

During that goodbye from the slopes to Roger, the moment of his retirement and how it will be the same has never crossed his mind. “I know that moment will come between X, or X and a little more. At 36 and a half we know we are in the final stretch of my career, but I don’t think about it. Not at all my emotion was for thatit was just the moment and the person who was retiring and the admiration for Federer, “said Nadal.

There was no shortage of anecdotes from many years of experience and the Spaniard took it upon himself to remember one of them in the tournament of Hamburg in 2007 when Roger took away his unbeaten record of 81 streak wins on clay. “After the game … It was an important record for me, 81 games in a row won on clay. I finished the game, he beat me and when we got to the locker room I left, and before going to press conference I arrived shortly after I saw that he was taking a shower and I told him ‘could you leave me the shirt you won me with’and I kept it as a keepsake, “he said.

The photographs showed the genuine moment between two athletes who, in addition to having argued everything with each other, have a lot of admiration for each other. A relationship between them that goes beyond sport and will last off the pitch.