Classy touch as each of the Big Three wish Joao Sousa well

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal all wished Joao Sousa well during his retirement ceremony at the Estoril Open over the weekend

JB Autissier / Panoramic

Bren Gray

April 9, 2024

It’s not often that a player retires and gets each member of the Big Three to send them a personal message of congratulation.

That’s exactly what happened over the weekend with Joao Sousa, however. With the Portuguese tennis veteran retiring from the sport at the Estoril Open last week, messages of thanks and support have flooded in from the tennis community.

During Sousa’s farewell ceremony, all three of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal chipped in and gave their congratulations to the 35-year-old for his career.

“You always brought a fighting spirit, a tenacity, never giving up,” said Djokovic of Sousa, who had a career-high ranking of No 28 in the world and claimed four ATP titles across his time on Tour.

“Congratulations on your incredible career,” Nadal added. “You did incredible things for Portuguese tennis and you will be an inspiration for many children in the future. As a friend, I wanted to thank you for all the fun moments we had on the circuit, they are unforgettable.”

Federer, whose memories of his own retirement in 2022 must still be top-of-mind, shared kind words also, saying, “Many congratulations, not only for your achievements on the court, but especially off it. You were always someone nice to have around. You’re a great player, I loved spending time with you on and off the court.

“I hope you enjoy your retirement,” the former No 1 continued. “Portugal must be very proud to have you.”

Several other players joined in with their support of Sousa, with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Gael Monfils and Andrey Rublev among those who also recorded messages.