RORY McIlroy has labelled Rafael Nadal ‘a hero and inspiration’ of his while hailing the tennis icon upon his retirement.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion played his final match on Tuesday in a Davis Cup tie for Spain in front of an adoring home crowd.
Nadal during his farewell ceremony following his singles quarter-final defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in Malaga[/caption]
McIlroy closed his season on a high on Sunday by winning the European Tour Order of Merit for the sixth time[/caption]
From watching you win your first grand slam in 2005 to watching you win your last in 2022, you have been a hero of mine and an inspiration to how I approach my own career. You will be so missed and tennis won’t be the same without you. Congratulations on one of… https://t.co/k2I1K3Ct36
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) November 19, 2024
The 38-year-old was unable to fight against Father Time as well as Dutch opponent Botic van de Zandschulp as he went down 6-4, 6-4 in a match-up between the Spanish and Netherlands teams.
Spain’s elimination as a whole was sealed in the doubles after Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof saw off Nadal heir Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers.
Afterwards the tears flowed as the greatest clay court player tennis has ever seen summed up how wrought with emotion he was.
He told the crowd: “What I have tried to do is to be a good person and I hope you have perceived that.
“I leave the tennis world having met so many friends along the way. I have so many people to thank.
“I leave with the peace of mind of having left a sporting and personal legacy I can be proud about.”
While his emotional state is understandable, Rory McIlroy’s heartfelt tribute on social media came a little left field since the pair aren’t known to be close.
However, both are major Nike athletes so surely would’ve crossed paths at its corporate events over the years.
The Northern Irish ace reflected: “From watching you win your first grand slam in 2005 to watching you win your last in 2022, you have been a hero of mine and an inspiration to how I approach my own career.
“You will be so missed and tennis won’t be the same without you.
“Congratulations on one of the finest sporting careers of all time. See you on the course soon! Your friend, Rory.”
McIlroy was far from the only global sporting superstar to hail Nadal as one of the all-time greats either as Roger Federer barely left a dry eye among fans with his open letter to his long-time adversary.
The tennis legends first met in Miami in 2004 and overall faced each other 40 times on court – Nadal leads 24-16 in the head-to-head stakes – including in NINE major finals.
Away from the court, they formed a close bond and in February 2020, their charity ‘Match for Africa’ was watched by a world-record crowd of 50,000 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Who could forget how both men were reduced to tears when Federer hung up his racquet for the final time?[/caption]
Federer, 43, held hands briefly with the Spanish superstar and sobbed uncontrollably when he retired from professional tennis two years ago at the Laver Cup in London following a doubles defeat together.
With the shoe now being on the other foot, Federer posted: “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.
“I’m not a very superstitious person but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals.
“Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear.
“All of it with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique – it was so you.
“And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more.
“After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the number one ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was.
“Until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly.
“All that buzz I’d been hearing about you – about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday. It wasn’t just hype.
“We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together.
“Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say, what an incredible run you’ve had.
“Including 14 French Opens. Historic! You made Spain proud. You made the whole tennis world proud.
“And then there was London – the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match.
“It meant everything to me that you were there by my side – not as my rival but as my doubles partner.
“Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career.”
Federer signed off the 585-word tribute from “your fan Roger” – and it left many tennis fans welling up ahead.
