Spanish stalwart Rafael Nadal has revealed why he became super emotional during Roger Federer's last match in the Laver Cup 2022, saying it was because an important part of his life was leaving with the retirement of the Swiss ace. Nadal, the winner of a record 22 Grand Slam singles titles, and Federer became emotional following their doubles loss to the American pair of Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in a Laver Cup match on September 23 with both seemingly finding it hard to hold back tears after the defeat.

Nadal and Federer share a rivalry dating back to 2004, and while they were the fiercest of rivals on the tennis court, they remain the best of friends off it. Federer first faced Nadal in 2004 at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami. They clashed a further 39 times over the years, competing against each other in 24 finals. Reflecting on his friend and rival's last match, Nadal said, "At the end everything became super emotional. For me, (it has) been (a) huge honour to be a part of this amazing moment of the history of our sport, and at the same time a lot of years sharing a lot of things together.

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