Federer impressed with ‘changing of guard’ after Nadal’s retirement: ‘Serena, Murray retired. Novak had a tough 2024’

Rafael Nadal announced his retirement recently, revealing the news via social media. The Spaniard’s final tournament will be the Davis Cup finals this November, marking an end to an illustrious career which saw him clinch 22 Grand Slam titles.

In a video, Nadal said, “I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make.”

He also revealed, “But I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country. I think I’ve come full circle, since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Seville in 2004.”

After Nadal’s retirement, Novak Djokovic will be the only active player from the Big Three. Speaking to the media team of Shanghai Masters, Roger Federer pointed out that he could feel a ‘change of guard’ in both women’s and men’s tennis.

“You can feel the changing of the guard: Serena Williams retired, Murray retired and Rafa is getting closer and closer. Novak had a tough year overall, but then he won the gold medal at the Olympics and achieved what he wanted. It was incredible for him to achieve that,” he said.

“You feel everything changing. Sinner and Alcaraz have won two Slams each, which shows that changes are happening. They are both very consistent and it’s great to watch them play. It was impressive to see Alcaraz live at the Laver Cup. He’s an incredible player and I think people will enjoy watching them,” he added.

2024 was the first time since 2022 that none of the Big Three won a Grand Slam, with Djokovic only managing to win gold at Paris 2024. Meanwhile, even Andy Murray retired after the Paris Olympics.