But then in 2004 March, Federer was upset by a 17-year-old Nadal, who won 6-3 6-3 their Miami Open meeting. The following year, the former 20-time Grand Slam champion got his revenge by winning their second meeting that also came in Miami.

Tennis legend Roger Federer wrote a heartfelt letter to Rafael Nadal on Tuesday before the Spanish star joins him in retirement. Nadal is participating in the Davis Cup in Malaga, Spain this week before saying goodbye to the sport he has played professionally since 2001.

As Rafael Nadal prepared to serve in what turned out to be the last tennis match of his career, a woman’s voice broke the silence from the stands: “You make Spain proud!” Not long after that, Nadal was wiping away tears from his face and waving goodbye to his fans.