Roger Federer's emotional farewell message to Rafael Nadal goes viral with more than 3.5 million views in just 5 hours

Roger Federer's wholehearted message for Rafael Nadal ahead of the Spaniard's imminent retirement at the Davis Cup Finals has gone viral over social media. While Federer isn't expected to attend Nadal's farewell in Malaga, he shared his best wishes for the 22-time Grand Slam champion in over a 600-word long message.

Federer and Nadal have shared one of the most iconic rivalries in the history of tennis, facing each other 40 times over 15 years. The pair first met at the 2004 Miami Open with 17-year-old Nadal defeating the then-World No.1 in straight sets.

Recalling his first introduction to Nadal in his long farewell message, Federer wrote:

"After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was—until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz I’d been hearing about you—about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday—it wasn’t just hype."

The 20-time Grand Slam champion also acknowledged Nadal's superior head-to-head record against him, 24-16, and confessed that the Spaniard challenged him and made him change his game.

"You beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge," he wrote

Federer hailed Nadal's dominance on clay, terming his 14 French Open titles a historic feat. The 43-year-old also expressed gratitude to the Spaniard for playing with him as his doubles partner in his farewell match at the 2022 Laver Cup.

"For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success. And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next," Federer added.

The post had amassed over 3.5 million views with over 100k likes in just four hours after being published. At the time of writing, Roger Federer's farewell note had crossed 4.5 million views.

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Rafael Nadal answers whether Roger Federer would come to Malaga for his farewell

Laver Cup 2022 day one - Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer during Serb's farewell match (Source: Getty)

Rafael Nadal played with Roger Federer in his farewell match at the 2022 Laver Cup, and although the pair lost to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe, the Spaniard broke down in tears following the match on Serb's retirement.

However, Nadal doesn't guarantee Federer would be present at his farewell at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Speaking in a press conference, ahead of Spain's quarterfinal clash against the Netherlands, Nadal said he hadn't talked to Federer, who has a busy schedule.

"I didn't talk to (Roger Federer). I think Roger (has a) busy schedule," he said, via WTA.

"Different situation. I was there to play. There we were teammates. Here we are in a Spanish team," he said.

Nadal is reported to be playing the opening singles match for Spain on Tuesday, November 19, after he had previously said he could only focus on the doubles.