Roger Federer became the most decorated athlete at the Laureus World Sports Awards after he won the Sportsman of the Year and Comeback of the Year at the ceremony on Sunday. With his sixth trophy, the 36-year-old added to his impressive collection of silverware in the last 13 months, which included three Grand Slams and the world No 1 sport.

But as incredible as his comeback and trophy collection is, his speech, after receiving the award from Martina Navratilova, was the real winner, as he gave a shout out to long-time rival Rafael Nadal. He thanked his family and coaches as well, but the nod to the Spaniard, who pulled out of his comeback event with another injury flare up, was a classy gesture.

The Swiss credited the Spaniard with making him a better player thanks to all the “great battles” they have had.

“Thank you to my rival Rafa. I wanted to give a shoutout to him. He had an unbelievable year himself. We had a great battle and it’s because of a guy like him, I think I’m a better player. He could very well be here tonight standing here with this award because he’s an incredible player, incredible friend and incredible athlete,” Federer said.

The award clearly meant a lot to him as he successfully came back from a six-month injury layoff in early 2017 and has since them gone on to become the best in the game again.

“It was an unforgettable year for me, to come back after a very difficult 2016, and these awards just make it even more memorable. When I won my first Laureus Award back in 2005, if you had said I would have ended up winning six I would not have believed you. It’s been an amazing ride,” he said.