"You've been in our living room for 20 years" - Novak Djokovic's former coach's wife honors Rafael Nadal after retirement, shares 20-year-old photo
Gaia Piatti, wife of Novak Djokovic's former coach Riccardo Piatti, shared an adorable memory of Rafael Nadal with their son Rocco after the Spaniard announced his retirement. She stated that Nadal had been in the living room with the family for almost 20 years.
Piatti coached Djokovic in the early days of the Serb's career and went on to coach several Top 10 men's players including Ivan Ljubicic, Richard Gasquet, and Milos Raonic, before working with current World No. 1 Jannik Sinner until February 2022.
The Italian coach and his family had a close relationship with Nadal and his team. The official X account of 'Piatti Tennis Center' posted pictures of Nadal and his team with Piatti, thanking the Spaniard for his contribution to tennis after the he announced his retirement in an emotional video shared on social media.
Piatti's wife Gaia took to Instagram to share a framed picture of a young Nadal with their son Rocco, who was only a toddler at the time. The picture was almost 20 years old and she said it belonged in their living room.
"@rafaelnadal you have been in our living room for almost 20 years, that’s how much we love you 🥰… but we’ll miss a lot not seeing you playing or fighting on court from now on," she captioned the post.
Gaia Piatti expressed her admiration for Nadal, praising his incredible career and sharing how special it has been to watch him grow into the champion he is today, both on and off the court.
She highlighted his constant kindness and politeness before extending her congratulations to the Spaniard, his team, and his family for a remarkable career.
"Time to enjoy the second part of your life now, cheers to you! 🍾 Gracias Rafa 🙏🥺" she added.
Rocco also reshared the image on his Instagram Story with a heart emoji.
In another image in Gaia Piatti's post, she shared a picture of a Nike clothing item that appeared to be a gift from Nadal to Rocco. It was signed:
"para mi amigo Rocco con todo mi afecto" (for my friend Rocco with all my affection).
"Your legacy will live forever" - Novak Djokovic pays tribute to Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal announced that he would retire from professional tennis after representing Spain at the Davis Cup Finals in November. He received tributes from some of the greatest in the sporting industry following the announcement.
The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Toni Kroos, Lindsey Vonn, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic had kind words for the tennis legend.
Djokovic's emotional post on social media consisted of several images of himself with Nadal over the years. His heartwarming caption read:
“One post is not enough to express the respect I have for you and what you have done for our sport. You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis and I think that’s probably the greatest achievement anyone can wish for. Your tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit is going to be taught for decades.”
“Your legacy will live forever,” Djokovic added. “Only you know what you had to endure to become an icon of tennis and sport in general. Thank you for pushing me to the very limit so many times in our rivalry that has impacted me the most as a player.”
The Serb also added that he will be there in person to attend Nadal's final matches in Malaga in November as he tries to help Spain win the Davis Cup for the fifth time in his career.