Rory McIlroy has joined the long list of stars sending messages of support to tennis legend Rafael Nadal after his retirement from tennis.
McIlroy was in the zone for the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last week, with the Northern Irishman going on to lift the trophy.
He can, therefore, empathise with Nadal better than most, with the latter having won 92 ATP Tour-level titles in his glittering career.
McIlroy is currently on 26 PGA Tour-level titles, with two of those coming this year, along with his recent Race to Dubai crown.
Both athletes will now be winding down after busy seasons, but for tennis veteran Nadal there will be no return.
Rory McIlroy sends message to his ‘idol’ Rafael Nadal
And McIlroy has clearly taken plenty of inspiration from his fellow sportsman over the years, with the golf star now reaching out to Nadal on social media after his retirement.
“From watching you win your first Grand Slam in 2005 to watching you win your last in 2022, you have been a hero of mine and an inspiration to how I approach my own career,” McIlroy wrote on X.
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“You will be so missed and tennis won’t be the same without you. Congratulations on one of the finest sporting careers of all time. See you on the course soon! Your friend, Rory.”
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Nadal is an avid golfer and may just turn to the sport once he is finally able to move on from his beloved tennis, even with his somewhat unorthodox swing, which is right-handed.
The DP World Tour shared footage of the Spaniard in action back in November 2020, noting that he plays to a 0.3 handicap, and that he had finished sixth at the Balearic Golf Championships in Mallorca.
But he wouldn’t even be the first tennis player to make that change, with fellow legend Andy Murray moving onto golf shortly after his retirement earlier this year.
Murray conversed with McIlroy before playing the BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am at Wentworth in September.
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Another tennis legend in Roger Federer also plays golf, as does current star Novak Djokovic, but it is Nadal who has seemingly had the strongest impact on McIlroy.
The Spaniard was one of the first to console the Northern Irishman following his US Open nightmare, with Nadal and Michael Jordan having messaged McIlroy after his struggles at Pinehurst.
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