Aryna Sabalenka paid tribute to "legend" Rafael Nadal, acknowledging the retiring Spaniard is "an inspiration to all of us". (More Tennis News)
The 22-time major winner 🔯announced on Thursday via a video on his social media platforms that he will retire from competitive tennis following next month's Davis Cup finals in Malaga.
Nadaꦉl's decision - generally expected given his injury struggles in recent years - has been met with widespread tributes throughout th🍷e tennis and sporting world.
And WTA number two Sabalenka - the reigning Australian and US 𓆏Open champion - was the latest big name to salute the 14-time French Open winner, who was dub🍃bed "the King of Clay".
"He's an inspiration for all of us, for the next generation, for current players. He's a leg﷽end," Sabalenka told WTA.
"As he said, everything has a beginning and an end. We are all going to be there. I'm really h♎appy for what he was able to achieve. He was inspiration for everyone. He's a hard worker. He definitely had so much love for this sport."
Sabalenka is through to her 11th successiv♈e WTA quarter-final at the Wuhan Open after coming from behind to beat Yulia Putintseva 1-6 6-4 6-0.
The reigning champion recovered from lo꧟sing the opening set - plus a break point at 4-3 down in the second set - to claim his 14th straight victory in Wuhan.
"In the first set, I was all over the place," she 🍷added. "I'm really glad that I was able to put myself together in the second set and things clicked.
"In that game [the eighth in the second set], I was just trying to cool myself down and just to remind myself to keep trying, keep fig♔hting.
"You have to work for it, you have to run, you have to play the point, build the point, find tꦡhe right shot, then go for it, not rush things. I was just having that conversation in my head all the time.
"After that game, I felt like som𝄹ething clicked. The return was better. The movement was better. The decisions I was making were♈ much better. I felt like that was really the turning point in the match."
