Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic react as former ATP world number seven officially retires from tennis

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Rafael Nadal called time on his glittering career last season, leaving Novak Djokovic as the only remaining player of the Big Three.

Carlos Alcaraz is emulating Nadal at this moment in time, with the latter having officially retired after the pair took on the Davis Cup with Spain in November.

Nadal is keeping tabs on Alcaraz, who still has a long way to go to achieve anything close to what his fellow Spaniard did on the court.

He hasn’t been the only ATP Tour star to hang up his racket in recent times, with Diego Schwartzman recently opting to follow Nadal into retirement.

Andy Murray meanwhile also retired last season, but made a quick return to coach his former rival Djokovic.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic message Fernando Verdasco after retirement

And the trend has now continued, with former world number seven Fernando Verdasco retiring after his Qatar Open exit.

The seven-time ATP Tour champion played doubles with Djokovic in Doha, with the pair losing in the quarter-finals.

READ MORE: The ‘perfect’ match Novak Djokovic played which made a shocked Rafael Nadal admit that he had never seen tennis like it

And the Serbian has now wished his recent partner well, firstly writing on his Instagram story: “Running back the years… Gracias Fer.”

Djokovic then posted another Instagram story with the message: “Felicidades guapo on an incredible career.

“Great competitor, great champion, great ambassador. An honour to share your final match, amigo. Take a bow.”

Nadal meanwhile posted on Instagram: “We experienced great battles on the track and very beautiful moments with Spain at the Davis Cup!

“Congratulations on your great career, Fernando Verdasco! I hope you can continue to enjoy your family and your new challenges even more. See you all soon!”

Replying to his compatriot, Verdasco said: “Thank you so much family. You are loved and missed! Hopefully we can see each other soon.”

Boris Becker messages Fernando Verdasco as he retires at Qatar Open

Verdasco will long be remembered for his superb efforts on the court, having impressed in both singles and doubles.

In the latter, he reached world number eight and collected eight titles, the majority of which came alongside David Marrero.

READ MORE: Matteo Berrettini builds his perfect tennis player as he picks who had a better forehand out of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

And in singles, a total of seven titles went his way, with the former world number seven particularly shining on clay.

The Spaniard won on the surface on home soil at the likes of Valencia and Barcelona, while there were also a handful of hard-court successes.

It’s clear to see he has left quite a mark on many tennis greats, with German icon Boris Becker also among his well-wishers.

Reacting to footage of Verdasco waving farewell on court, Becker wrote on X: “Congratulations Fernando on your excellent career amigo!”