當代男子網球名將「蠻牛」納達爾（Rafael Nadal）今（2024）年 11 月於西班牙舉辦的台維斯盃（Davis Cup）中告別網壇。他在男子單打項目中敗給荷蘭選手范德贊德舒爾普（Botic van de Zandschulp），因為男雙項目也落敗，西班牙國家隊止步八強，也代表納達爾的職業網球生涯正式在此劃下句點。
同列網球三巨頭（Big Three，另一位是塞爾維亞好手喬科維奇）的費德勒（Roger Federer）11 月 19 日特別在社群媒體上貼出一封長信（信箋上還有費德勒專屬的符號），向納達爾致意。這封信在社群網路上短短時間即廣為流傳，各國媒體多稱其真情流露（emotional）、發自內心（heartfelt），許多網友也大讚信件內容既感人又泱泱大度。
本文將帶讀者朋友們一起咀嚼這封信，輔以影片、照片凸顯字裡行間兩位網壇名將對戰交鋒的光輝時刻，及場上場下的真摯情誼。
註：文末附上信件之原文全文，供有興趣的讀者參考。
#Fedal pic.twitter.com/DiTxIcXf7u
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 22, 2022
細讀信函，拆解字裡行間深意
費德勒一開始用西班牙語招呼納達爾：「Vamos」，該詞是西班牙語動詞「Ir」的第一人稱複數，基本上很像英語的「Let’s go」，也就是「一起走吧」、「上吧」的意思，用在比賽情境中多有鼓勵和打氣的含義。
費德勒表示：「你即將從網壇畢業了，在感傷之前我想先分享一些事情。」首先最顯著的就是兩人的對戰紀錄，納達爾明顯勝場更多；紅土球場就像是納達爾自家後院（backyard），費德勒沒想到自己得付出更多努力，才能堅守陣地；他必須重新構思打法，甚至調整球拍拍面大小，只求取得些許優勢。
接下來話鋒一轉，語氣變得詼諧又親暱。
費德勒表示自己不是一個非常迷信的人，但納達爾在這方面境界高一個層次，整套流程得做好做滿，有一堆儀式（rituals）──包含把水瓶當成軍隊行伍中的士兵公仔整隊集結（Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation）、整理頭髮、調整內褲（連這種細節都寫出來，足顯交情之深），一切都執行得一絲不苟。費德勒打趣地說：「我私底下還挺愛這整套玩意兒，因為非常獨特，是專屬於你的。」（Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique—it was so you.）
註：以下影片集合了幾乎所有納達爾在場上的小儀式，納達爾曾表示其實這些儀式並非「迷信」，而是幫助他專心。
他接著說：「還有，你知道嗎，拉法（算是納達爾的小名，原稱是拉斐爾），是你讓我更享受比賽。」（And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more.）
費德勒表示，或許一開始不是那麼享受，因為他在 2004 年澳網後初次成為球王，正意氣風發，卻在兩個月後的邁阿密公開賽慘輸身穿無袖球衣、秀出二頭肌的納達爾。這證明了他所聽聞有關納達爾的一切──來自西班牙馬略卡（Mallorca）的優秀年輕球員、這世代的天才球星、來日可望贏得大滿貫賽事──絕非炒作虛名。
註：以下影片為 2004 年邁阿密公開賽，兩位球王初次對戰的經典時刻。
費德勒接著說得相當感人：「我們當時都才剛開始闖蕩網壇，結果後來這旅程我們是一起走過。拉法，20 年過去了，我得說：你的成就驚人，獲得 14 座法網冠軍，締造歷史！你讓西班牙以你為榮，你讓整個網壇以你為榮。」
費德勒回顧過往和納達爾一起推廣網球，在半草地、半紅土的球場上比賽（如下方影片）；在南非開普敦超過 5 萬名球迷面前比賽，破了史上到場觀賽人數的紀錄；總是逗彼此發笑（Always cracking each other up）；在球場上讓彼此打到精疲力盡（Wearing each other out on the court）；有時甚至還必須真的在頒獎典禮上攙扶彼此（Almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies）。
註：以下影片為 2007 年在納達爾故鄉馬略卡舉辦的半草地、半紅土「場地之戰」（Battle of the Surfaces）表演賽，由費德勒和納達爾在各自擅長的球場地面出戰，後來由納達爾勝出。
註：以下影片為 2010 年納達爾應邀去瑞士幫費德勒的基金會打表演賽，在拍攝表演賽宣傳片時兩人笑成一團，充分顯示兩人的好感情。
接著費德勒感謝納達爾「邀請」他 2016 年到馬略卡為「拉法納達爾學院」揭幕，之後又表示其實是自己「不請自來」，因為知道納達爾太客氣，而自己不想錯過；他表示納達爾一向是全球孩童的好榜樣，自己和妻子都很樂見自家孩子在他的學院受訓，唯一只擔心孩子回家變成左撇子的網球手（納達爾揮拍時用左手，但寫字時用右手）。
接下來，就是 2022 年在倫敦舉辦的拉沃盃（Laver Cup），這是費德勒職業生涯中最後一場比賽。他對納達爾說：「你在我身邊意義極為重大，不是當我的對手，而是我的雙打夥伴。當天晚上和你一同在球場上奮戰，一同流淚，永遠都會是我職業生涯中最特別的時刻之一。」
最後，費德勒表示自己知道納達爾目前心思都放在輝煌職涯的最後一段，他將在一切結束後跟他聊聊，自己現在只想對他的家人和團隊表達祝賀之意，他們都是納達爾成就背後的大功臣。
他對納達爾說：「我要你知道，你的老朋友會一直為你打氣，不管接下來你投身何處，都會一樣大聲為你加油。」（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.）
接著費德勒寫著「Rafa that!」──這應是相對於自己的名字玩的文字遊戲，原本應該是「Roger that!」，亦即「收到了、瞭解了」的意思。此外，網路搜尋結果似也可發現兩人的共同球迷製作了「Rafa this/Roger that」等標語圖案的馬克杯、衣服系列產品，若是費德勒也知曉甚或影射此事，那更是體現兩人在網球世界「少有」得以「共享」的獨特名望和支持，這點從兩人的合稱「Fedal」（中文譯為「費納」，連兩人官方社群帳號貼文都使用過這個稱謂）可見一斑。
信件最後，費德勒署名自己是納達爾的「球迷」（your fan）。
結語
謹以此文紀念納達爾、費德勒兩位網球球王的輝煌成就和感人情誼，也揮別「三巨頭」宰制世界男子網壇 20 餘年的不凡年代。
盼望未來世界網壇在新人輩出的同時，選手間也能有機會培養如此寶貴的情誼，讓球迷不僅得見網球美技，更能體察運動精神的美好；在球場上肅殺爭輸贏的氣氛之餘，亦能看見英雄惺惺相惜的人性光輝。
信件原文
Vamos, Rafa!
As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional.
Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a 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 game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.
I’m 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 unique—it was so you.
And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more.
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 was—until 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 I’d been hearing about you—about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday—it wasn’t just hype.
We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud... you made the whole tennis world proud.
I keep thinking about the memories we’ve 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.
I’m 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 didn’t 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 much—like thousands of other young players. Although I always worried my kids would come home playing tennis as lefties.
And then there was London—the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side—not 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.
Rafa, I know you’re focused on the last stretch of your epic career. We will talk when it’s 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.
Rafa that!
Best always, your fan,
Roger
執行編輯：羅思涵
核稿編輯：孫雅為
