Real Madrid pay heartfelt tribute to Rafael Nadal after retirement announcement | OneFootball

Earlier today, Tennis icon Rafael Nadal announced that he will be retiring from the game after the Davis Cup in November.

One of the greatest ever to play tennis, Nadal, is an avid Real Madrid supporter and naturally, the club issued a statement paying tribute to the legend after he made the announcement, which read as follows:

“Following Rafa Nadal’s announcement that he will retire from tennis as a professional player after the Davis Cup that he will play with Spain in November 2024, Real Madrid CF, its president and its Board of Directors wish to show their admiration and affection for one of the greatest legends of Spanish and world sport of all time.

“For us and for all Real Madrid fans, it is and will always be a source of pride that a legend like Rafa Nadal represents our club as an honorary member of Real Madrid.”

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez also had words of praise for Nadal, as he said: “Rafa Nadal is also a source of pride for our country and an example of the essential values ​​of sport, which he has built upon throughout his extraordinary career.”

The statement from the club then went on to list all the success that Nadal has achieved during his illustrious career, which includes 22 Grand Slam titles – 14 French Opens, four US Opens, and two Wimbledon and Australian Opens each.

Concluding, the statement from Real Madrid read: “We at Real Madrid would also like to express our gratitude for your support of Real Madrid and for spreading the values ​​of our club to every corner of the world.

“We wish Rafa Nadal and his entire family the best in this new stage of their lives.”

Apart from the club issuing a statement, a host of Real Madrid stars, present and past, took to social media to congratulate Nadal on his glittering career.

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Toni Kroos, Marcelo, Thibaut Courtois, Lucas Vazquez, Vinicius Jr., and Jude Bellingham, among various others paid homage to the Spanish legend.