Roger Federer has published a long letter paying tribute to great rival Rafael Nadal ahead of the Spaniard’s retirement, saying: “Your old friend is always cheering for you.”

Roger Federer paid tribute to his retiring rival Rafa Nadal on Tuesday, telling the Spaniard he challenged him like no other player and that he had made the tennis world proud during a glittering career lasting over two decades.

Roger Federer wrote an emotional post on social media on Tuesday, paying tribute to Rafael Nadal who is set to retire from professional tennis at Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain, this week.