They were fierce competitors throughout their careers, yet they maintained a strong friendship while pursuing greatness in tennis.

As Rafael Nadal gets ready for his final tournament before retirement, Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer paid a touching homage on social media to the athlete who has achieved 22 Grand Slam singles titles—two more than Federer.

“As you prepare to graduate from tennis, I have a few thoughts to share, even if they might make me a bit emotional,” Federer posted on X. “First of all, you’ve beaten me—quite a lot. More than I’ve managed to beat you. You pushed me in ways that no one else has.”

Looking at their competitive history, it’s important to note that their matches were closely fought, with Nadal winning 24 times and Federer winning 20 since their first encounter at the 2004 Miami Open.

However, their rivalry also contributed to tennis history.

Nadal and Federer, together with Novak Djokovic (who has 24 Grand Slam titles), dominated men’s tennis for over twenty years.

“You made me rethink my game—even going as far as changing my racquet head size to gain an advantage,” Federer added. “I’m not particularly superstitious, but you took it to another level with all your routines and rituals.”

Federer went on to commend Nadal’s extraordinary success on clay, stating: “You’ve had an amazing career, especially with your 14 French Open titles—truly historic! You have made Spain proud and the entire tennis world proud.”

During Federer’s final match in 2022, Nadal was by his side as they played doubles together for Team Europe at the Laver Cup.

“Having you there with me meant the world. You weren’t just my rival that night; you were my doubles partner,” Federer expressed. “Those moments we shared on the court and the tears we shed will always be one of the highlights of my career.”

Nadal, too, will wrap up his career by participating in a team event, as Spain faces the Netherlands in the Davis Cup semifinals.