Boris Becker sends touching message to 'absolute icon' Rafael Nadal for his conduct on and off court

Boris Becker recently penned a heartwarming message for Rafael Nadal while watching an interview of the legendary Spaniard. Becker lauded the 22-time Major champion for the way he behaved on the court during his playing days, and also for the way he continues to carry himself off it post-retirement.

On Tuesday, April 29, former World No. 1 and six-time singles Grand Slam champion Becker sent his message to Nadal publicly on X (formerly Twitter). The iconic German drafted and shared the post as he was watching a recent exclusive interview that the Spaniard gave to CNN.

Paying homage to Rafael Nadal over the record 14-time French Open winner's humility, Boris Becker wrote:

"Listening to @RafaelNadal on @cnnsport! What a humble, down to earth guy the man from Manacor #mallorca Spain is!!! An absolute icon in the sporting world and an example how to conduct yourself on and off the court! Well done Rafa!"

In the CNN interview Becker referred to in his post, the Spaniard was quizzed about his thoughts on a diverse array of tennis-related subjects. Potentially becoming a coach was one of them.

"You can never say never" - Rafael Nadal hints at possible coaching career, but not in the near future

Rafael Nadal at a 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards press conference (Source: Getty)

Rafael Nadal made it clear during the CNN interview that as things stand in his life in this present moment, he is not at all open to becoming a coach, as that would require him to frequently travel with the player who appoints him. The 22-time Grand Slam winner's wife is more than five months pregnant with the couple's second child. At the same time, the Spaniard refused to rule out the possibility entirely when looking at things in the long run.

"I mean in this life you can never say never. It’s difficult to imagine myself now doing this kind of thing … it’s not my moment, at all. I am in a different moment of my life and I don’t see myself traveling now with a player," the former No. 1 said.

In a separate interview with The Telegraph earlier this month, the Spaniard disclosed that the linking up of his former rivals Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic as coach and player respectively caught him by surprise. The 38-year-old though, also spoke up about understanding Murray's decision to accept Djokovic's offer.

"It surprised me a bit that, immediately after retiring, Andy wanted to start a project again where he’d be travelling. But I understand that the project to be with Novak is an attractive one, and one he would be passionate about. Also, I understand for Novak to be with one of his rivals – one of his biggest rivals – as his coach must give him a motivation," the 92-time ATP Tour-level singles titlist told The Telegraph.

The Spaniard bid an emotional farewell to tennis at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, and is set to be honored at this year's French Open for his staggering achievements at the prestigious claycourt Major.