Rafael Nadal and his sister Maribel send their love to Iga Swiatek as she fondly reflects on her cherished memories with Spaniard after his retirement
Rafael Nadal and his sister Maribel have shown their appreciation for Iga Swiatek's emotional tribute to the tennis legend after he retired from the sport. Swiatek, who has often spoken about Nadal being her idol, fondly revisited her cherished memories with the Spaniard.
Nadal recently ended his illustrious career at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, following Spain's loss to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the prestigious event. Swiatek, closely following the event, shared her emotional reaction to witnessing the 22-time Grand Slam champion break down in tears as Spain's national anthem rang out in the stadium.
The Pole also echoed Serena Williams' sentiments about getting "choked up" over watching the 38-year-old compete in the final tournament of his career.
Iga Swiatek later took to social media and looked back on her treasured memories with Rafael Nadal, from delivering the keynote address at his academy's graduation ceremony to her unforgettable experience of teaming up with the former World No. 1 for mixed doubles at an exhibition event.
"I just can't 😭 #graciasrafa," Swiatek captioned her Instagram post.
Rafael Nadal expressed his gratitude for the Pole's heartfelt tribute, while the Spaniard's sister Maribel signaled her appreciation with heart emojis.
"Thank you Iga 😘," the 22-time Grand Slam champion commented.
"❤️❤️❤️," Maribel wrote.
Iga Swiatek: "Honestly, Rafael Nadal was the only player I watched, so I don't know if I'm going to watch tennis at all now"
Iga Swiatek recently shared her feelings about Rafael Nadal's retirement during a press conference at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, admitting that she might stop watching tennis since the Spaniard was the only player she followed closely.
"Honestly, he was the only player I watched, so I don't know if I'm going to watch tennis at all now," Swiatek said.
The World No. 2 opened up about having "mixed feelings" about Nadal hanging up his racket, disclosing that while she was happy for him to move on to a new chapter in his life, she would deeply miss watching her idol on the court.
"I'm going to watch online his matches, because -- you know, I don't know. I have mixed feelings, because I'm happy that he can start a new chapter, and I'm happy that also he can have a nice finish here on Davis Cup, a tournament that he loves and in Spain, you know," she said.
"But on the other hand, I really will miss watching him on court," she added. "Yeah, he's a huge inspiration. Yeah, I have mixed feelings, for sure."
Iga Swiatek also reminisced about her first meeting with Rafael Nadal on her birthday at the French Open, recalling that she was struck by how "down to earth" and "humble" the former World No. 1 was.