One of the greatest, sad that she is leaving: Rafael Nadal pays tribute to 'inspirational' Serena Williams
Rafael Nadal hailed Serena Williams as one of the greatest of all time.
Serena Williams recently dropped a bomb when she confirmed she will be retiring from the game soon. Williams, who is regarded as one of the greatest female tennis players of all time, is all set to quit the sport after making her final appearance at the upcoming US Open 2022 at home.
The American legendcurrently has 23 Grand Slam titles to her name and will be gunning for a record 24th title at the US Open this year. Williams has had a glorious career spanning over two decades where she has dominated across all major Grand Slam events.
She is arguably one of the most successful tennis players of all time and is an inspiration to millions around the world. Williams is currently playing her final WTA Tour tournament at the ongoing Cincinnati Masters ahead of the US Open. She had confirmed her retirement earlier this month stating that she is 'evolving away from the game'.
Rafael Nadal paid a heartfelt tribute to Williams after her retirement decision and said the American ace will be missed. Calling her one of the greatest to have graced the game, the 22-time Grand Slam champion hailed her as an inspiration, who can't be thanked enough for what she has done for tennis.
"Plenty of memories. She is one of the greatest sports [people] of all time. I feel lucky to share a tour for a long period of time with her. Of course, from a selfish point of view, it’s sad that she’s leaving the tour but, on the other hand, we can’t thank her enough for all the things that she did for our sport," Nadal told reporters ahead of the start of Cincinnati Masters.
"I think she’s an amazing inspiration for a lot of people around the world and I think she deserves to choose whatever works for her better at this stage of her life. So I wish her all the best," he added.
While it will be Williams' last ATP tour, 36-year-old Nadal is all set to make his comeback at the Cincinnati Masters after withdrawing from his semi-final clash against Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon 2022 earlier this year. Nadal had to pull out of the all-important game due to a tear in his abdomen.
The Spaniard has already won two Grand Slam titles this year at the Australian Open and the French Open and looked well on course to fight for a third straight title before his injury at Wimbledon 2022. Nadal's participation at the upcoming US Open 2022 remains in doubt as he asserted he will not put too much pressure on his body considering his abdominal injury.