“You’re the biggest inspiration I ever had in tennis” – Iga Swiatek sends emotional tribute message to Rafael Nadal after retirement announcement

Many stars from around the world, including Iga Swiatek, have paid tribute to Rafael Nadal following his retirement announcement on Thursday. The World No.1 opened up about Nadal being the ‘biggest inspiration she has ever had’ in tennis.

Nadal will play his final match at the 2024 Davis Cup, representing Spain, where he will also aim to help his country lift the title for the seventh time in history. He was part of the team that clinched the title in 2004, 2009, 2011, and 2019. Nadal remains one of the most decorated players of all time, with 92 career titles, including 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

Over the years, Świątek has often spoken about her admiration for Rafael Nadal, and she had another opportunity to share kind words about the Spaniard when he announced his retirement. On Friday, through a video posted on her Instagram account, Świątek expressed her appreciation for the 38-year-old, calling him her biggest inspiration and the reason she feels extra motivated.

“Because of your announcement today, I think this is gonna be a really special day for every tennis fan and I wanted just to speak about my appreciation and what your career meant to me because you were and still are the biggest inspiration that I ever had in tennis and the reason why sometimes I got extra motivated, I kept pushing myself, so thank you for that,” Iga Swiatek said.

She went on to praise Nadal’s off-court persona, particularly his humility despite his incredible success. Świątek also wished him well in the next phase of his life, whether he spends time with close friends and family or possibly pursues another career.

“Thank you for being such an amazing person off the court as well because your humility is something that is not (seen) so often, when you see other athletes succeeding, you’re the one that always stayed honest to himself and true to himself. Thank you for being a really good person and hope you’re gonna enjoy the other part of your life and hopefully maybe some other career because the sky is the limit for you now and I hope that you are really gonna spend a lot of time now with your close friends and family,” she added.

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