KEY POINTS

  • Rafael Nadal is currently in Ohio for Cincinnati Open
  • Serena Williams announced her retirement after almost 30 years in the sport
  • Both Nadal and Serena are set to play in the Cincinnati Masters

Rafael Nadal has paid a heartwarming tribute to Serena Williams, saying "we can't thank her enough for all the things that she did for our sport."

Serena recently announced her retirement from tennis with the U.S. Open 2022 being her last on-court assignment. The tennis legend played professionally for close to 30 years. She will enter the hard-court Grand Slam with the hope of finally equaling Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam titles. However, the American superstar has not won a major title since 2017.

Speaking in an interview during the ongoing Western & Southern Open, Nadal said he had "plenty" of memories of having shared the tennis court with Williams. Nadal described the former World No. 1 WTA player as "one of the greatest sports [people] of all time."

"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 in Cincinnati, according to Eurosport.

Serena Williams Announces Plans To ‘Evolve’ Away From Tennis
Serena Williams Announces Plans To ‘Evolve’ Away From Tennis

Serena is currently in Ohio participating in the Cincinnati Open and is scheduled to take on 19-year-old Brit star Emma Raducanu in the opening round Tuesday.

"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," Nadal added.

It was earlier reported that Nadal can reclaim ATP's top rank at Cincinnati Open 2022. If he wins the ATP Masters 1000 title and the current top-ranked player Medvedev fails to reach the quarter-finals, the 22-time Grand Slam winner would reclaim the No. 1 rank.

"It means a lot to me to have that opportunity [to rise to No. 1]. Something that I didn't expect could happen again. The main thing is to stay healthy and play the events that I want to play. I will not play more than what I believe works well for my body. I am going to put all my efforts into every single event I play," Nadal told reporters in a press conference, according to ATP.