Ariarne Titmus pays tribute to Rafael Nadal following the his retirement. (Images by Getty)

Ariarne Titmus pays tribute to Rafael Nadal following the Spanish great's retirement from tennis

Modified Nov 22, 2024 05:10 GMT

Ariarne Titmus shared a heartfelt tribute to Rafael Nadal following the tennis legend's retirement from the professional circuit. The Spaniard played his last professional match at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.

Nadal locked horns with Dutchman Botic Van De Zandschulp in the quarterfinal against the Netherlands in the opening singles match. However, Spain lost the quarter-final 2-1 against the Netherlands on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. The tennis star was defeated by Zandschulp in straight sets, 4-6, 4-6.

After having battled a series of injuries in recent years, primarily a hip injury that limited him from playing since 2023, the 22-time Grand Slam champion announced that he would gracefully hang up his racket following the conclusion of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.

Following the Spanish tennis star's retirement, Paris Olympics gold medalist Titmus honored Nadal by bidding him farewell. She shared a picture of herself donning a white t-shirt with Nadal's picture printed on it, where the Mallorca native is seen tying his signature iconic headband. Titmus was also seen sporting a white headband with Nadal's Spanish bull symbol.

She shared the picture on her Instagram story and wrote:

"This week we farewell and celebrate one of the greatest."

She further shared a picture of the hamper from the Nike x Rafael Nadal collection and wrote:

"The best package to come home to."

Ariarne Titmus dazzles at the Marie Claire

Woman of the Year 2024 after defending her 400m freestyle event title at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Ariarne Titmus won the gold medal in the 400m freestyle final during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Photo via Getty Images)

Ariarne Titmus recently attended the Marie Claire Women of the Year Awards held at Walsh Bay in Sydney on November 13, 2024.

She was invited to grace the event following her Paris Olympics heroics, where the Australian swimmer defended the 400m freestyle event title. Titmus defeated Summer McIntosh and the legendary swimmer Katie Ledecky after posting a time of 3:57.49.

McIntosh and Ledecky clocked 3:58.37 and 4:00.86. Three summers earlier at the Tokyo Games, she defeated Ledecky in the same event. While Titmus posted 3:56.69, the American swimmer registered 3:57.36.

The Australian swimmer opted for a white gown with a deep neck cut and paired it with a chic black purse and heels for the event in Sydney. Titmus shared a few pictures from the event and penned an inspiring message, writing:

"I feel proud to be playing a small part by being a role model for young girls all over the world."

Along with her individual victories, Ariarne Titmus also bagged medals in the 4x200m freestyle event.