David Beckham gives sporting sendoff to 'unique, one of a kind' Rafael Nadal after tennis legend announces retirement

Following Nadal's retirement — announced yesterday with an emotional video — the former England and Manchester United star took to Instagram to post a heartfelt tribute to the Spanish tennis legend, calling him "one of a kind".

Beckham first met Nadal back when he played for Real Madrid in the 2000s and since then, the former Galactico has been pictured with the Spaniard on several occasions. In 2022, a video went viral of Beckham reacting to an incredible Nadal point at Wimbledon.

Beckham posted multiple images of Nadal on Instagram, describing him as "unique" and "one of a kind". He added: "Congratulations on an incredible career... the most amazing player but more importantly the most amazing person."

The all-time tennis great will take part in his final Grand Slam tournament next month, when the Davis Cup rolls around. Beckham was one of many in the football world who admired the athlete - Cristiano Ronaldo also posted a tribute to Nadal following his announcement - and we can probably expect some of those fellow pros to turn up and show him support at the Davis Cup.