'Who thought rivals can feel like this' - Virat pens heartwarming note sharing Federer-Nadal emotional picture

It was an emotional day for every tennis player, and the fans of the game as the legendary Roger Federer bid adieu to the game. He played his final game at the Laver Cup on Friday evening and, unfortunately, lost the contest. While many are still digesting the fact, former India captain Virat Kohli shared an emotional message for Federer.

In his final match on Friday, the 41-year-old Swiss legend, who has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, paired up with his longtime friend and rival of the game, Spanish veteran Rafael Nadal, and lost to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe of the United States by 4-6, 7-6(2), 11-9. Though he could not triumph, throughout the two hours and sixteen minutes of play, the former world No. 1 had good positioning around the net and launched his groundstrokes with an apparent ease through the court.

“Who thought rivals can feel like this towards each other. That’s the beauty of sport. This is the most beautiful sporting picture ever for me. When your companions cry for you, you know why you’ve been able to do with your god given talent. Nothing but respect for these 2. @rogerfederer @rafaelnadal,” Virat Kohli captioned the picture of emotional Federer and Nadal which went viral as the game ended.

Federer, who hasn't competed since the Wimbledon quarterfinals of 2021, announced his retirement last Thursday and stated that he would not participate in any Grand Slam tournaments and the ATP Tour following this year's Laver Cup in London. Before the competition began, Federer made the decision to play just one doubles match at the Laver Cup, which was held at London's O2 Arena.

While Federer was the first male player to bag 20 Grand Slam titles, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic surpassed him in the later years as the two have now won 22 and 21 Grand Slam titles respectively. All four of the previous Laver Cup competitions were won by Team Europe. Federer's slot will be filled by Italian Matteo Berrettini over the weekend as an alternative in this year's competition.

Federer spent 310 weeks at the top of the ATP Rankings and managed to win 103 tour-level championships. He first encountered Nadal in 2004 in Miami at the ATP Masters 1000 competition. Over the years, the duo have clashed against each other in 24 finals. It seemed appropriate for Federer to wrap up his career beside the Spaniard as they had developed a particular bond, with Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic rooting them on from the sidelines.