“For Him It’s Good to Say Nothing” – When ‘Tiger in a Cage’ Rafael Nadal Insulted Roger Federer in 2012 For Targeting Him Publicly

In a recent interview, Rafael Nadal remarked that he does not have many friends on the ATP tour and occasionally talks only with Roger Federer. The duo have shared a legendary rivalry for nearly two decades. While they mostly remained cordial, there were a few instances where a rift seemingly emerged. In 2012, Nadal slammed Federer for not speaking up in support of other players.

Nadal was the first genuine challenger to Federer’s dominance. The latter was ruling world tennis when the former rose through the ranks and became a force to reckon with. An otherwise seemingly reserved person off the court, Nadal’s confidence to speak up about certain issues perhaps comes from being a fighter throughout his career.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faced off in the semi-finals of the 2012 Australian Open. However, before their on-court clash, there was a clash of ideologies off the court. In an interview, Federer remarked that players complaining publicly damages the image of the ATP Tour, seemingly a dig at Nadal. He believed issues such as scheduling of tournaments, should be solved within the organisation. The 20-time Grand Slam winner also seldom took a stance against the ATP or spoke up about any problems the players faced.

Nadal vehemently disagreed when Federer’s opinions were brought up in his press conference. He accused the Swiss of trying to maintain his ‘gentleman’ image by not speaking up about negative issues players face. He said Federer is okay with others burning themselves out as long as he maintains his profile (via ESPN).

“No, I totally disagree. For him it’s good to say nothing. Everything positive. ‘It’s all well and good for me, I look like a gentleman,’ and the rest can burn themselves.”

Nadal admitted that the ATP does function better than many other sports. However, he said there are still some things that need to be changed and corrected. The Spaniard said that is what ‘majority’ of the players want. He mocked Federer for thinking differently, implying his opinions are wrong because he constitutes a very small minority who think the ATP tour is perfect

“(Federer) likes the circuit. I like the circuit. It’s much better than many other sports but that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be better. It doesn’t mean there are some things about the tour that could change. The tour is fine, but there are some things that are bad. That’s all we’re saying.

And the vast majority of players have this same opinion. He’s got a different opinion…if the vast majority have one opinion, and a small minority think differently, maybe it’s them who are wrong.”

The tennis fraternity witness a Fedal semi-final at the 2012 Australian Open in the backdrop of this exchange. Rafael Nadal had to apologize soon after, but the tension remained going into the match. Federer took the first set but his rival bounce back to win the next three and advance to the final. Nadal would eventually lose to defending champion Novak Djokovic in an epic five-setter.

Player burnout remains and ongoing debate even today. However, Federer is now vocal against extreme training and tournament schedules. This may be perhaps due to his children getting into tennis and having rigorous practice time-tables.

Roger Federer called Rafael Nadal ‘a tiger in a cage’

In the recent ATP Tennis Podcast, Federer talked about his and Nadal’s contrasting approaches to tennis. He said he was relaxed and calm on match days. Nadal, though, was intense and always moving around. Federer likened him to a tiger prowling around in a cage.

Nadal was always known for his intensity and competitiveness. Federer seemed to be one of the very few players to get Nadal to lower his guard and grow close to him. The Swiss legend’s likeable personality and friendly nature broke down Nadal’s walls and today, they are the closest of friends.