“A special day for all tennis fans” – Swiatek and Sabalenka pay tribute to Nadal

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka paid tribute to Rafael Nadal after the Spaniard announced his retirement

Nadal, Paris Olympics, 2024 © Zuma / Panoramic

October 11, 2024

Thursday, October 10, 2024 will go down as a historic day in tennis’ history. After more than twenty years of an exceptional career, but marked by numerous injuries that seriously affected the end of his career, Rafael Nadal has decided it is time to stop. Next November, during the Davis Cup, the Mallorcan will put away his racquet for good.

It’s been an extraordinary career for the Spaniard, winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, including 14 at Roland-Garros. In recent hours, tributes have come pouring in, including his former rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, as well as Carlos Alcaraz, with whom Nadal partnered at the Paris Olympics this summer.

YOU HAVE BEEN AND STILL ARE THE BIGGEST INSPIRATION I HAVE EVER HAD IN TENNIS
Iga Swiatek

A big fan of the Spaniard, Iga Swiatek, the world No 1 on the WTA Tour, published a video in the last few hours to look back on the retirement of her idol.

“Because of your announcement today, this day will remain special for all tennis fans. You have been and still are the biggest inspiration I have ever had in tennis,” said the Pole.

“You are the reason why I sometimes had a boost of motivation and the willingness to give it my all. Thank you for that and thank you for being an amazing person off the court as well. Your humility is something that we don’t see very often. When you see some athletes succeed, you’re one of those who has always been honest with yourself.

“Thank you for being such a beautiful person. I hope you will enjoy the other side of your life and other careers,” continues the four-time Roland-Garros winner.

“In any case, I hope you will spend a lot of time with the people you love and your family,” concluded Swiatek, who has been absent from the courts since her defeat in the quarter-finals of the US Open against Jessica Pegula a month ago and who withdrew from the Masters 1000 in Beijing and Wuhan in recent days.

Iga Swiatek recorded a beautiful message for Rafa Nadal after he announced his retirement:

“Your humility is something that you don’t see often. When you see other athletes succeeding, you’re the one that always stayed honest to himself.”

My heart. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/12y7VBMi7e
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 11, 2024

SABALENKA “emotional” AFTER NADAL’S RETIREMENT

Currently competing in the Wuhan Open, Aryna Sabalenka also reacted to the announcement. The Belarusian explains that she learned of Rafael Nadal’s retirement a few minutes before entering the court during her match against Yulia Putintseva in the round of 16.

“I watched his announcement video before my match, it was very emotional,” said Sabalenka, world No 2.

“I didn’t cry, but I had tears in my eyes. It’s incredible everything he has managed to achieve in this sport, he is an inspiration for all of us and for the new generation, the current players,” she said.

“He’s a legend, but everything has a beginning and an end, we’ll all get to that moment one day. I’m very happy with what he was able to do, he’s a real hard worker, who has a real love for the sport. It’s something that people appreciate about him. I wish him all the best for the next chapter of his life, he’s an incredible person.”

Tennis fans will have their eyes glued to the Davis Cup Final Eight next month to say a final goodbye to one of their idols. Winner of this competition five times in his career, Nadal will try to put an end to his illustrious record with a fifth title for his country.