Rafael Nadal's coach Carlos Moya sends a message to Spaniard after retirement announcement

Carlos Moya penned a heartfelt thank you message for Rafael Nadal as the 38-year-old announced his retirement. The two Spaniards have gone from being rivals on the court to sharing a highly successful player-coach relationship, in the last two decades.

The tennis world was taken by storm when 16-year-old Rafael Nadal announced his arrival by defeating the then-World No. 4 Carlos Moya 7-5, 6-4 at the 2003 Hamburg Masters. The two men faced each other eight times in their careers with the 22-time Major Champion winning six of those battles.

However, their relationship evolved to a new stage when Moya joined the former World No. 1's coaching team in 2017. He has guided the 38-year-old to eight Grand Slam triumphs, which include one Australian Open (2022), two US Opens (2017 and 2019), and five French Opens (2017,2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022), among many others.

The Spaniard had been struggling with injuries over the past few years and struggled to find rhythm in his game. Following an underwhelming European clay swing, by his standards, he competed at the Paris Olympics where he faced an early exit in singles. He then decided to skip the US Open and the Laver Cup.

Nadal broke the hearts of many when he announced that he would be hanging up his racquet after the 2024 Davis Cup Finals through an emotional video message on his social media.

A heartbroken Carlos Moya took to X to thank Nadal for allowing him to be a part of the 14-time Roland Gaross Champion's journey as a coach and as his friend.

"We knew that one day this would happen. It is an honor to have been part of your journey, in the end as a coach but always as a friend. Thank you for so much."

Recently, the Spaniard also posted a photo from his practice session with Moya, where the two men were seen sharing a laugh, on his Instagram.

"Talking about my team is a little bit more difficult for me" - An emotional Rafael Nadal struggles to find words for his team

The Spanish duo during a practice session(Source: Getty)

In his emotional video message, Rafael Nadal struggled to find words for his coaching team. He mentioned their importance in his career and much like Moya, Nadal also called his team his friends.

"Talking about my team is a little bit more difficult for me, because in the end, my team has been a very important part of my life. They’re not just co-workers. They are friends."

After completing the Six Kings Slams exhibition in Riyadh, Nadal will gear up to kick off for the 2024 Davis Cup Finals knockouts. He will be joined by Carlos Alcaraz, Marcel Granollers, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta, and David Ferrer, who will captain the Squad.

Spain will kick off their campaign against the Netherlands on 19 November.