Watch: Rafael Nadal hugs Roger Federer's kids before leaving the arena after Swiss legend's farewell match at Laver Cup

Rafael Nadal was expected by many to miss the 2022 Laver Cup after he bowed out of the US Open in the fourth round. However, days before letting the world know about his retirement, Roger Federer communicated the news to his friend-cum-rival and expressed his desire to play his last match alongside the Spaniard, which the world got to witness on Friday night.

Although neither Federer nor Nadal was at his best during their match against Team World's Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock in the doubles encounter, they fought hard and lost a close contest. The scenes that followed will be remembered by tennis fans forever, as the Swiss legend shed tears of joy while his teammates responded with their own displays of emotion.

A video from the memorable evening that has recently appeared online is winning even more hearts. The clip shows Rafael Nadal hugging Roger Federer's kids right before leaving the court with the retired Swiss player, a scene that millions of television viewers were not privy to earlier.

When Nadal and Federer faced each other for the first time at the 2004 Miami Open, the Spaniard was merely 18 years of age while the Swiss player was sitting at the top of the ATP rankings. Nadal announced his arrival by handing a straight-set defeat to Federer; the Swiss had finally met his match.

The two players soon found themselves fighting for the big titles regularly. But Federer and Nadal, despite being the biggest rivals in men's tennis, managed to stay friends off the court.

Over the last 18 years, the duo have given countless unforgettable memories to the fans apart from their extraordinary thrilling matches.

---

"During Roland Garros, I thought it might be my last tournament" - Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal at the 2022 French Open

After lifting his 14th Roland Garros title earlier this year, Rafael Nadal revealed that he used anesthetic injections and anti-inflammatories throughout the event to numb a nerve in his foot. In a recent interview with Spanish media outlet AS, the Spaniard was asked whether the thought of retirement had crossed his mind after Roger Federer called it a day at the 2022 Laver Cup.

In response, the 36-year-old mentioned that he felt the French Open might have been his last tournament because of the multiple injuries that he was dealing with. After getting treatment on his foot, Nadal had to leave Wimbledon mid-way due to an abdominal muscle tear, which he hasn't recovered from yet.

"I'm not at that moment yet. I was close to that time this year. During Roland Garros, I thought it might be my last tournament," Nadal said. "From then on, everything went very bad physically. I broke my abdominal twice, at Wimbledon and in New York. It has been an accumulation of important misfortunes, added to all these personal things.

"But I'm not in that moment and I don't want to think about it. I want to get back to normality, for everything to go well with my personal life, which is the top priority, and then organise my life in the right way. Have peace of mind in my personal and professional life," he added.

Also check out:- Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic Head to Head