During his tribute to Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas made a hilarious reference to the Laver Cup.
Just after his announcement that he will retire from professional tennis following November’s Davis Cup finals, tributes to the 22-time Grand Slam champion are still coming in.
Following a 23-year career filled with glory, the 38-year-old acknowledged that his injury problems have finally caught up to him and that he is no longer able to play without pain or limitations.
In the wake of Nadal’s announcement of his retirement, Tsitsipas joined the long list of individuals who have sent messages to Nadal.
Tsitsipas wrote on X: “Rafa, Our battles were passionate, colourful, iconic. They resembled you. It has been one of the great honours of my life to share the court with you, both as an opponent and as a teammate. Enjoy your next chapter, amigo. Vamos Rafa, para siempre. PS: Any finger, you cross.”
Tsitsipas further wrote on Instagram: “As I hung the poster of Rafael Nadal on my wall, it wasn’t just a picture but a reminder that dreams can take flight. I spent countless nights dreaming of emulating his legacy, driven by his relentless spirit and unmatched passion for the game. Today, as he steps away from the court, I can’t help but reflect on the surreal moment I faced him, a dream transformed into reality. His journey taught me that greatness isn’t just about victories; it’s about resilience, humility, and the courage to chase your dreams against all odds.”
He added: “Ultimately, Rafa’s journey inspires us to chase our dreams with tenacity, to embrace challenges with grace, and to always play with our hearts. Thank you for the memories, the lessons, and the pure joy you’ve brought to the sport @rafaelnadal.”
Rafa,
Our battles were passionate, colourful, iconic. They resembled you.
It has been one of the great honours of my life to share the court with you, both as an opponent and as a teammate.
Enjoy your next chapter, amigo. Vamos Rafa, para siempre.
PS: Any finger, you cross 😉 pic.twitter.com/5GNw4gs1gx
— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@steftsitsipas) October 11, 2024
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Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2024
Now the world no.12, Tsitsipas played his last match on the 9th of October when he capitulated to world no.5 Daniil Medvedev 7-6(3) 6-3 in the 4th round in Shanghai (draw).
Currently, during this season the Greek has achieved an overall 39-19 match record. The Greek conquered 1 title in Monte-Carlo. Tsitsipas reached the final in Barcelona.
Stefanos Tsitsipas will face the world no.660 John Isner in the Round Robin on Sunday at 6:00 pm on CENTER COURT. The head to head is 6-2 for Tsitsipas.
Stefanos has won 1 title in 2024 in Monte-Carlo. Tsitsipas reached the final in Barcelona (Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell).
Tsitsipas won 12 titles in his career: 1 on hard courts, 5 on clay courts, 5 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Basel (Swiss Indoors Basel) on the 21st of October and Paris (Rolex Paris Masters) on the 28th of October.
Rafael Nadal in 2024
Ranked world no.158, the Spaniard played his last match on the 29th of July when he was overcome by world no.4 Novak Djokovic 6-1 6-4 in the 2nd round in Paris (draw).
At present, during this year Nadal achieved a 12-7 win-loss record. Rafael Nadal’s best result of this season was reaching the final in Bastad.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafael Nadal clashed against each other 9 times. Their record is 7-2 for Nadal. The last time they played each other, Rafael Nadal won 6-4 6-7(6) 7-5 in the final in Barcelona (Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell) in April 2021.
You can watch the highlights in the following video.
Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2024
At the moment ranked no.12, Tsitsipas played his last match on the 9th of October when he lost to world no.5 Daniil Medvedev 7-6(3) 6-3 in the 4th round in Shanghai (draw).
Currently, during this season Stefanos owns a 39-19 match record. The Greek conquered 1 title in Monte-Carlo. Stefanos reached the final in Barcelona.
Stefanos Tsitsipas will face the world no.660 John Isner in the Round Robin on Sunday at 6:00 pm on CENTER COURT. Their actual record is 6-2 for Tsitsipas.
The Greek has won 1 title in 2024 in Monte-Carlo. The Greek got to the final in Barcelona (Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell).
Stefanos won 12 titles in his career: 1 on hard courts, 5 on clay courts, 5 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Basel (Swiss Indoors Basel) on the 21st of October and Paris (Rolex Paris Masters) on the 28th of October.
Rafael Nadal in 2024
Ranked no.158, the Spaniard played his last match on the 29th of July when he was defeated by world no.4 Novak Djokovic 6-1 6-4 in the 2nd round in Paris (draw).
This season the Spaniard has managed to achieve an overall 12-7 match record. Rafael Nadal’s most significant result of the current year was getting to the final in Bastad.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafael Nadal fought against each other 9 times. Their current head to head is 7-2 for Nadal. Before, the last time they fought against each other, Rafael Nadal won 6-4 6-7(6) 7-5 in the final in Barcelona (Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell) in April 2021.
In the following video you can watch the highlights.
