Vamos, @RafaelNadal!
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As you get ready to graduate from tennis, Iāve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional.
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Letās start with the obvious: you beat meāa lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my gameāeven going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.
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Iām not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals. Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear... All of it with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so uniqueāit was so you.
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And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more.Ā
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OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I wasāuntil two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz Iād been hearing about youāabout this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major somedayāit wasnāt just hype.
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We were both at the start of our journey and itās one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run youāve had. Including 14 French Opensāhistoric! You made Spain proud... you made the whole tennis world proud.
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I keep thinking about the memories weāve shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record by playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always cracking each other up. Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies.
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Iām still grateful you invited me to Mallorca to help launch the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. Actually, I kind of invited myself. I knew you were too polite to insist on me being there, but I didnāt want to miss it. You have always been a role model for kids around the world, and Mirka and I are so glad that our children have all trained at your academies. They had a blast and learned so muchālike thousands of other young players. Although I always worried my kids would come home playing tennis as lefties.
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And then there was Londonāthe Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my sideānot as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career.
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Rafa, I know youāre focused on the last stretch of your epic career. We will talk when itās done. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success. And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next.
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Rafa that!
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Best always, your fan, āØ
Roger
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.@secdef confirms the US is seeing evidence that North Korean troops have gone to Russia. First official U.S. confirmation https://t.co/ZDAMJpb3bU
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1/2 The IDF firing on #UNIFIL peacekeepers and first responders in #Lebanon is alarming and unacceptable. Canada reiterates its full support for UNIFIL and its critical role in contributing to a diplomatic settlement consistent with UNSCR 1701.
BREAKING: Maggie Smith, the Oscar-winning actor known to millions from Harry Potter and "Downton Abbey," has died at age 89, her publicist says. https://t.co/Y1CGV6tHNY
I have worked for two Presidents, briefed two Presidents. We donāt want a President sitting in the Oval Office who wouldnāt demand exactly this. Itās literally your job to be prepared for it.
The IAEA advised russia and Ukraine to use "maximum restraint" near the Kursk NPP.
We advise IAEA to advise russia return alive ALL personnel of the Chornobyl NPP captured by russians in Feb 2022.
We advise IAEA to advise russia to withdraw ALL russian troops from the Zaporizhzhia NPP occupied by russians on March 4, 2022.
After that you are welcome to advise on the Kursk NPP.
Let's solve problems as they come.
Important new report from @MediaEcosystem detailing the implications of Meta's Canadian news ban on news consumption across five platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter. A few observations. š§µ
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4:21 PM PTĀ --Ā A source who has spoken with a member of the Secret Service tells TMZ,Ā TrumpĀ was not hit by a bullet. Rather, a bullet hit his teleprompter and the GLASS struck him by the ear.
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