Rafa Nadal's letter to Roger Federer after his retirement: "I wish this day had never come"

• Tennis Farewell to elegance, Roger Federer retires: "I must admit that it is time to end my career"

's unexpected announcement

has taken the sports world by surprise.

The Swiss, icon and winner of 20

has communicated through his social networks that he will retire from tennis after playing the

Rafael Nadal,

who was one of the top competitors in Federer's career, has said goodbye to the Swiss with a heartfelt comment on Twitter.

"Dear Roger, my friend and rival. I wish this day had never come. It is sad for me and for the sport. It has been a pleasure, an honor and a privilege to share all these years with you, living so many extraordinary moments inside and outside of the field," Nadal said.

The reactions of some tennis leaders have not been long in coming after the surprising goodbye to Federer's courts.

One of the first players to speak out was

, the recent US Open champion.

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"Roger has been one of my idols and a source of inspiration. Thank you for everything you have done for our sport. I still want to play with you. I wish you all the luck in the world for what comes next,"

The Murcian, who

as one of his childhood idols, has sent a message on his Twitter account with a broken heart.

In addition to Alcaraz, another athlete who has expressed himself quickly has been

.

The Argentine has thanked the Swiss for his dedication and has insisted that tennis "will not be the same".

"I love you Roger. Thank you for everything you have done for tennis and for me. The world of tennis will never be the same without you."

has joined the messages from Alcaraz and Del Potro

.

The Swiss has congratulated Federer on his career and has expressed that his compatriot is the GOAT of tennis.

official accounts

The tennis players have not been the only ones who have sent a warm

The official accounts of some federations, competitions and brands that have collaborated with the player have joined the wave of words.

Precisely,

, who has worked on several occasions with Federer, has congratulated the Swiss for his work and has posted an image of the athlete promoting his brand.

"Have an ace retirement. And remember, you will always be part of the Mercedes family," said the brand.

The

which was one of Federer's favorites, has taken advantage of its social networks to publish an image with the Swiss holding one of the eight trophies he won under the London sky.

The official

account has commented that Federer is a "legend" of the game on his Twitter.

"Legend of the game".

says the Tweet.

In turn,

has communicated a heartfelt message stating that Federer "changed" the game.

It should be remembered that the Swiss remained for 310 weeks at the head of the ATP.

"You have changed the game," said the circuit.

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