Rafael Nadal describes Andy Murray as one of his greatest rivals - "We have done many things together"

With Andy Murray set to retire at the conclusion of the 2024 Olympic Games, Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal has labeled the British star as 'one of his great rivals' on the ATP tour.

Murray announced his decision to hang up his racket earlier this year, and will be playing in the doubles event alongside Dan Evans at the Olympic Games in Paris. The 37-yer old has struggled with injuries during the final part of his career, and received an emotional sendoff at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships following his final match on Centre Court.

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Nadal has high praise for his British counterpart

In an exclusive Eurosport interview, the 22-Grand Slam champion spoke highly of Murray. Nadal described the former World No.1 as one of his biggest rivals alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, highlighting the brilliant moments they shared on the court.

"Andy Murray has been one of the great rivals in my career for many years,” Nadal told Eurosport. “Roger, Novak, Andy and I have fought for the biggest tournaments week after week. He has been a good companion. I have had a good time with him, we have done many things together.
“He has been one of the players who has always maintained a pleasant character, as a teammate I have always had the feeling. He has been a beloved player for everyone in the locker room."

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Nadal and Murray have faced each other 24 times since their first meeting in 2007, with the Spaniard holding a 17-7 career head-to-head lead over the Brit. They have clashed on nine occasions at major tournaments, most of which were won by the resilient Nadal. Although Murray did emerge victorious at the 2008 US Open 2008 and the 2010 Australian Open, he would go on to lose in the final to Federer.