Rafael Nadal's announcement Thursday that he'll retire from tennis after next month's Davis Cup Finals was met with heartfelt tributes from the tennis community, sporting world and beyond.
Chief among those to pay homage to Nadal on social media in the aftermath of the news breaking were two of his greatest rivals, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, who together made up the iconic "Big 3" that dominated men's tennis for the better part of 20 years.
"Thank you for pushing me to the very limit so many times in our rivalry that has impacted me the most as a player," Djokovic wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in saluting Nadal.
"One post is not enough to express the respect I have for you and what you have done for our sport. You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis and I think that’s probably greatest achievement anyone can wish for. Your tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit is going to be taught for decades. Your legacy will live forever."
"What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come," wrote 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer, Nadal's long time rival and great friend, in the comment section of the Spaniard's Instagram post.
"Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honor!"
2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff was also found with Federer in the comments of Nadal's post, writing: "You are amazing! It’s been so incredible to witness your greatness and work ethic and be able to learn from it. Wishing you all the best in the next chapter."
Meanwhile, two current greats of men's tennis also weighed in. Nadal's fellow Spaniard, and his doubles partner at this summer's Paris Olympics, Carlos Alcaraz, grew up idolizing Nadal, and posted a photos of the two through the years with a heartfelt message.
“From the child who watched you on television and dreamed of becoming a tennis player to the one who had the immense gift of playing alongside you at Roland Garros, representing Spain in the Olympic Games," he wrote in Spanish on X.
2024 US Open winner Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1, added that Nadal "paved the way and taught so many of us how to be as a player and as a person."
See more player reactions in the posts below, from 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem to 2022 US Open finalists Ons Jabeur and Casper Ruud and more.
But the best message of all might've come from Britain's WTA star Katie Boulter, who succinctly captured the spirit of what a lot of the tennis family was feeling in the aftermth of Nadal's announcement.
