Rafa's words ... to Carlos, his friend ...

It seems that Rafa has written a public 'letter' to Carlos Moya ... to express his feelings and emotion upon him retiring from the game ...

Friend of everybody

Now that Carlos has said goodbye to tennis I feel emotion and sadness. I appreciate him as a tennis player. He was one of the greatest we've had, someone who brought something different: a tennis boom in Spain since reaching the Australian Open Final. Then, as a person, for me is a sad day because having a friend with you during tournaments and long hard seasons helps tremendously. With Carlos I've always had an excellent relationship. All the moments we spent together are unforgettable. I appreciate everything he has done for me since I entered the circuit with 15 or 16 years old, when I was a dwarf. I was a little shy and he made me feel like one of them. He helped me a lot with everything. Having a friend in difficult times of nervousness, someone to talk with, and much more experienced than me, helped me a lot.

This is how everything started. I met Carlos when I was 12, in Stuttgart. I was nervous, as usual, he was someone I admired, who I've always watched on TV. The first contact with him was strange, complicated, as it's normal in children. Fortunately, Carlos is very easygoing and open, and he makes you feel comfortable right away. The following day, though he had lost, I had the opportunity to train with him for an hour. I was 12 years old! What an opportunity! It was really impressive for me.

What did he teach me? When speaking, nothing. With his attitude, many things. I can talk about his attitude towards me, which is a good example. To have one fellow Mallorcan so successful at what he does and at the same time so down to earth, as he was with me, it would be difficult for a lot of people to accept. It would be normal for him to want to mark distance. But the opposite happened. He always supported me and stood by me in many difficult moments. His behavior in tennis is not for everyone to reach. And it shows in all the friends he left in the game. He will be remembered as one of the best people in the circuit. He is a friend of all, one who had an excellent behaviour on and off the court. I'm lucky. For me, it's the partner that goes, but I keep the friend.