fix(react-router): fix custom link type ref inference

packages/react-router/src/link.tsx

@@ -364,8 +364,8 @@ type UseLinkReactProps<TComp> = TComp extends keyof React.JSX.IntrinsicElements
     > &
       React.RefAttributes<
         TComp extends
-          | React.FC<{ ref: infer TRef }>
-          | React.Component<{ ref: infer TRef }>
+          | React.FC<{ ref: React.Ref<infer TRef> }>
+          | React.Component<{ ref: React.Ref<infer TRef> }>
           ? TRef
           : never
       >

packages/react-router/tests/link.test-d.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { expectTypeOf, test } from 'vitest'
+import React from 'react'
 import {
   Link,
   createLink,
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ import {
 } from '../src'
 import type {
   CreateLinkProps,
+  LinkComponent,
   ResolveRelativePath,
   SearchSchemaInput,
 } from '../src'
@@ -4005,6 +4007,39 @@ test('when passing a component with props to createLink and navigating to the ro
   createLink((props) => expectTypeOf(props).toEqualTypeOf<CreateLinkProps>())
 })
 
+test('that createLink refs forward correctly', () => {
+  // copied from: https://tanstack.com/router/latest/docs/framework/react/guide/custom-link#basic-example
+  interface BasicLinkProps
+    extends React.AnchorHTMLAttributes<HTMLAnchorElement> {}
+  const BasicLinkComponent = React.forwardRef<
+    HTMLAnchorElement,
+    BasicLinkProps
+  >((props, ref) => {
+    return (
+      <a ref={ref} {...props} className={'block px-3 py-2 text-blue-700'} />
+    )
+  })
+  const CreatedLinkComponent = createLink(BasicLinkComponent)
+  const CustomLink: LinkComponent<typeof BasicLinkComponent> = (props) => {
+    return <CreatedLinkComponent preload={'intent'} {...props} />
+  }
+
+  expectTypeOf(BasicLinkComponent)
+    .parameter(0)
+    .toHaveProperty('ref')
+    .toEqualTypeOf<React.Ref<HTMLAnchorElement> | undefined>()
+
+  expectTypeOf(CreatedLinkComponent)
+    .parameter(0)
+    .toHaveProperty('ref')
+    .toEqualTypeOf<Parameters<typeof BasicLinkComponent>[0]['ref']>()
+
+  expectTypeOf(CustomLink)
+    .parameter(0)
+    .toHaveProperty('ref')
+    .toEqualTypeOf<Parameters<typeof BasicLinkComponent>[0]['ref']>()
+})
+
 test('ResolveRelativePath', () => {
   expectTypeOf<ResolveRelativePath<'/', '/posts'>>().toEqualTypeOf<'/posts'>()