It all comes down to this moment. After 20 thrilling years of serving the sport, Rafael Nadal will finally bid adieu to it at the Davis Cup Finals. Over the years, he has enthralled fans with his audacious displays on the court. Moreover, with 22 Grand Slam titles in his kitty, the Spanish legend is one of the greatest players of all time. Thus, tributes poured in for the Spaniard as fellow tennis stars, his family, and Nike were at the forefront of it.

Nadal has been associated with Nike since he was just 13 years old. During this tenure, they enjoyed success and overcame failures together but it was an inseparable bond that spanned decades. As a result, Nike shared a series of tributes that celebrated Nadal’s legacy on the court.

Nike co-founder & Chairman Emeritus Phil Knight narrated a brand film to pay tribute to Nadal and explained, “Rafa has been the perfect representative for the brand. He’s embodied our mentality to never give up and is maybe the most ferocious competitor that’s ever lived… You could always see that tenacity. When he hit a forehand, the ball changed shape, he’d hit it so hard. And no one was going to outlast him in a five-set match. He was always fun to watch, and he was never out of a match.” However, this wasn’t the only tribute by Nike.

Nike’s ‘greatest’ video on Rafael Nadal re-lives his legacy

Ahead of Nadal’s farewell, Nike released a video on social media that depicts the Spanish legend striving it out on the clay courts. It was a perfect tribute to Nadal, fondly known as the ‘King of Clay’. Nadal has won 14 French Open titles and is the tournament’s most successful player. “When the dust settles, you’ll know you’ve given more than anyone. Chased down every game, shot, point, and put it all on the line for one more win. Not once, but every second, minute, hour, day of your life. Greatness. It only takes everything.” the narrator says as the black-and-white video celebrates Nadal’s iconic career.

“No one has given more to their sport. Or left it all on the court every single time. @RafaelNadal, you showed us what it takes to be the greatest. It only takes everything,” the caption read as the video went viral as soon as it was shared on Nike’s official Instagram handle.

Additionally, Nike also changed the social media avatars to Nadal’s signature bull logo. Interestingly, Nadal’s first contact during his teen years made him richer by $500,000 over five years. With Nadal’s career gaining steam, he signed a mega-contract worth over $10 Million per year for 10 years. Later, in 2018, he signed another extension for 5 years.

Throughout the course of his career, Nadal has been seen in several promotional campaigns for Nike. Back in 2012, Nike released a new commercial featuring Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo. It became one of the most viral campaigns and the video garnered over 3 million views in a couple of days. “On-court, Rafael Nadal’s supremacy is almost unrivaled. But against Cristiano Ronaldo and the new Mercurial Vapor VIII, he faces a challenge like never before,” the caption of the video read.

While Nike poured a wholehearted tribute to Nadal ahead of his retirement, his family and fellow tennis stars weren’t left behind. The likes of Sebastian Korda and Karen Khachanov shared wonderful messages for the Spaniard.

Tennis world pours tribute to Nadal

Despite Nadal having an intriguing rivalry with his fellow players, he is one of the most respected stars in the tennis circuit. As a result, several players joined in to pay their tributes as Nadal readies to play in his last tournament. American star, Sebastian Korda took to Instagram and changed his profile picture to Nadal’s iconic ‘Raging Bull’ logo, Korda is an ardent admirer of Nadal and played a couple of thrilling matches against him. Additionally, he also named his cat ‘Rafa’ as a tribute to his idol.

Further, Karen Khachanov took to his official Instagram handle and shared a story featuring Nadal’s iconic memorabilia which had the Spaniard’s picture alongside a t-shirt with the Raging Bull logo. Earlier today, Roger Federer also took to social media to share an emotional tribute. The Swiss maestro revealed, “As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional. Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.”

Later today, Nadal will play against Botic van de Zandschulp in the singles tie of the Davis Cup Finals. If the results don’t go his way, it could potentially be the final match of his illustrious career.