After Federer's retirement match, Nadal withdraws from Laver Cup

 

After competing in the doubles competition with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal withdrew from the current Laver Cup.

Notably, Federer's final competitive encounter featured a partnership with Nadal. The Swiss master Federer made his retirement plans public last week, stating he would call it quits at London's O2 Arena.

The spectacle was far bigger than the outcome, even though the team, affectionately known as "Fedal," lost the match to Team World's Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.

Furthermore, with 40 meetings between them, Federer and Nadal have had the most intense rivalries in tennis. Federer partnered with Nadal in his final competitive match despite their animosity for one another.

After the match, Nadal paid tribute to his longtime on-court opponent Federer by saying, "For me, (it) has been great honour to be a part of this amazing moment of the history of our sport, and at the same time, a lot of years sharing a lot of things together."

"When Roger leaves the tour, a significant portion of my life will also depart because of all the times he has stood next to or in front of me at crucial occasions in my life. Therefore, it has been difficult to see the family and other people. Yes, it's challenging to describe. However, incredible occasion," He went on to say.

Notably, Cameron Norrie of Great Britain will play Team World's Taylor Fritz in the singles match on Day 2 of the Laver Cup in place of Nadal.

The Spaniard praised his friendship with Federer, saying: "I think the personal relationship grows stronger and better every year, on a daily basis. I believe that in some ways, we realize that we have a lot in common in the end. We presumably have similar outlooks on life.

"I'm very proud to have played some small part in his career, but even happier to finish our career as friends after everything we shared on court as rivals," said the player. "On court, we have completely opposite styles, and that's probably what makes our matches and our rivalry probably one of the biggest and most interesting."