Rafael Nadal sat right beside Roger Federer, both in tears, holding each other’s hand as the latter bid farewell to professional tennis two years back at the Laver Cup in London. However, Nadal confirmed on Monday that Federer won’t be on his side to return the classy retirement gesture when he plays his final match on Tuesday in Spain’s Davis Cup match against the Netherlands.
Federer and Nadal forged the most celebrated rivalry in sports history, before being joined by Novak Djokovic as the trio formed the famed Big Three of men’s tennis, who dominated the tour for over two decades. Nadal and the Serb were present at the Laver Cup event in 2022 when a tearful Federer announced his retirement after succumbing to a prolonged battle with a knee injury.
On Tuesday, Nadal will become the second of the Big Three to retire from the sport, but Federer will not be present in Malaga to pay tribute to the Spaniard following the Davis Cup rubber. However, he did drop a hint at a potential reunion with the Swiss for a “last goodbye.”
“It’s a different situation,” said Nadal in his pre-tournament press conference. “I was there to play. There, we were team-mates. Here, we are a Spanish team.
“I didn’t talk to Roger. I think Roger has a busy schedule. By the way, of course it’s going to be my last week on the professional tour, but I don’t think it’s going to be my last goodbye. So there is going to be other chances to do something.”
‘There are no ideal endings’
Nadal, who won 14 titles at the Roland Garros, en route to his tally of 22 Grand Slams, barely made it back to the tour since incurring a hip injury during the 2023 Australian Open. He missed the entire 2023 season before struggling to make a comeback in 2024, where he last played in the Paris Olympics in July, and subsequently missed the U.S. Open and Laver Cup over fitness concerns.
Ahead of his final match, Nadal admitted there are no perfect endings and that he remains focussed to helping Spain win the match, rather than on it being his farewell event.
“There are no ideal endings,” he said. “Ideal endings usually happen in American movies. It’s not something that worries me in that sense. My farewell is going to be what it’s going to be. What I want is for the team to be competitive and to be able to win the Davis Cup.
“I am not worried about the next chapter in my life. I have had lots of time in my life not playing tennis because of injuries. I accept the challenge of an important change in my life.”