The moment tennis fans hoped would never come is finally here—Rafael Nadal has officially bid farewell to the sport. After over two decades of awe-inspiring brilliance, the Spanish maestro has left fans and colleagues teary-eyed, his retirement marking the end of an era. Tributes have been pouring in from every corner of the globe as the world remembers Rafa’s unparalleled legacy on and off the court. But amidst the heartfelt goodbyes, one tribute has caught everyone’s attention for its unique touch. Andy Murray, ever the cheeky Scot, chose to honor Nadal with a pinch of humor, breaking through the sea of emotions with a lighter note. 

The Spanish tennis sensation finally bid adieu to the sport after he faced a defeat against Netherlands’s Botic van de Zandschulp, which was followed by Spain’s eventual defeat in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. Murray soon joined the fray of people paying tribute to Nadal and shared a video message for the ‘King of Clay.’ “I have always been a huge fan of yours and it’s been incredible to watch you practice with you and get the chance to compete against you throughout all these years since we first met as 13-14-year-old kids,” Murray said. Continuing further, he reflected on the determination and zeal that Nadal depicted always on the courts. 

“The passion and intensity that you played with not just on the match court but also the practice court is something that I think all tennis players aspire to, and what all tennis fans will remember you for. You’re probably the only tennis player ever to have never thrown their racquet in anger, which is credible,” Murray added. However, he was quick to shift the emotional tone and shared how Nadal failed to reflect a calm side when he lost playing PlayStation. “This wasn’t the case when you would lose at Play Station. I have seen Rafa throwing PlayStation controllers around hotel rooms all over the world.. When he and his close friend Juan Monaco would lose a late goal to me with his beloved Real Madrid at pro-revolution soccer,” Murray revealed. Interestingly, Nadal has himself revealed how big a PlayStation buff he has been since his early days.

In an interview in July this year, Nadal reflected upon coming back to Bastad as a teenager. “When you’re 19, 18 or 17, when I first came here, I remember coming to play with friends, with Juan Monaco, Carlos Moya, Zabaleta, playing Playstation, going to dinner and partying a bit afterwards.” Murray’s revelation has yet again highlighted his love for the virtual games as well. However, Murray is not the only player to have paid a heartwarming tribute to Rafa. 

Earlier, Swiss Maestro Roger Federer took to his X account and shared a heartfelt tribute to Rafael Nadal. Federer highlighted that Nadal “made the whole tennis world proud,” adding that Nadal’s presence during his retirement in 2022 “meant everything” to him. And as the tennis world has continued to share their sorrows over the Spanish legend’s retirement, bidding adieu to the sport was no easy task for Nadal himself. 

“Was having an emotional day” – Rafael Nadal makes true admission about his pre-retirement situation

For a player of Rafael Nadal’s stature, who gave his life to a sport, evolving away from it is not an easy task. Rafa very well experienced the emotions as the time for his retirement neared, as revealed by the star player himself in an interview after his Davis Cup match. 

Speaking about his emotions, Nadal said, “I was having an emotional day, nerves before what could be my last singles match as a professional.” Continuing further, he added, “The emotions hearing the national anthem for the last time as a professional were very special, mixed feelings makes things a little bit more difficult.” Interestingly, these emotions were very well evidenced when Nadal joined his team for the National anthem with teary eyes as fans created an electric moment in the stadium.

As he now gears up for the next chapter of his life, it would be interesting to see how he embraces what life has in store for him. But one thing is certain, Rafa will definitely dominate off-court innings as well.