Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal may not be the best of friends off the tennis court, but their camaraderie has been there for all to see. Nadal burst onto the scene in 2004 and from then until 2019, the duo have played in some of the iconic matches of all-time.
Although towards the end of his career, Roger Federer did get the better of Rafael Nadal in a few consecutive matches, it is the Spaniard who still ended up ruling their head-to-head at 24-16 in 40 matches. Sharing mutual respect for each other and a healthy bond, there have been many occasions when the Swiss maestro paid tribute to his biggest rival. Most recently, it was during an interaction with Uniqlo where the 20-time Grand Slam champion made a startling confession.
Roger Federer reveals struggling against Rafael Nadal the most
As part of a 2023 YouTube series with Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo, Roger Federer was seen coaching tennis to some youngsters in New York City. One of them asked him about the hardest player he ever faced. Federer was prompt in naming Nadal largely due to his ability to generate a huge amount of top spin in his shots as well as the fact that he was left-handed.
Federer had lauded Nadal after their epic Australian Open 2017 Final
Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal in a thrilling 5-set clash in the 2017 men’s singles final in Melbourne, ending a run which saw the Swiss struggle against the Spaniard in Grand Slam matches. In his post-match speech, Federer saluted the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s resilience and fitness.
“I’m out of words and Rafa said so many great things. I’d like to congratulate Rafa on an amazing comeback. I don’t think either of us thought we’d be in the finals when we were at your academy four or five months ago.
“Tennis is a tough sport,” Federer added. “There are no draws. If there were, I would have been happy to accept one and share it with Rafa. Stay on the tour. Keep playing, Rafa because tennis needs you.”
When Roger Federer compared Rafael Nadal with Pete Sampras
Rafael Nadal had beaten his protégé, Casper Ruud in the French Open final in 2022 to become the first player to win 22 Grand Slams and 14 of those alone have come at Roland Garros. Speaking to veteran journalist Simon Graf, who is also the co-author of the book ‘The Roger Federer Effect’, the Swiss maestro expressed how amazed at was seeing Nadal achieve such a massive feat. He was quoted as saying –
“In general, it’s just unbelievable what Rafa has achieved. The record of Pete Sampras, which I beat, was 14 Grand Slam titles.
“Now Rafa won the French Open 14 times. That’s unbelievable. I was happy for him that he did it again. Hats off to Rafa. After the 10th, 11th time, I already thought: ‘This can’t be.’ He keeps raising the bar. It’s gigantic.”
Roger Federer makes Rafael Nadal mention in 2023 GOAT debate
“What’s better? Winning Wimbledon at 17 like [Boris] Becker or Paris at 36 like Novak? I don’t know,” claimed Federer. “What Djokovic’s achieved is absolutely gigantic. It could be sufficient. But I think as long as Rafa is still playing, you can’t answer that definitively.”
This shows how much Federer actually rates Nadal, still calling him a force to reckon with on the Tour indirectly, despite the fact that the Spaniard is out of action and will take till January 2024 to just return to action.
When Federer launched the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor in 2016
The Rafa Nadal Academy first opened its doors to the world in 2016 in Nadal’s hometown, Mallorca. The Spanish superstar had invited his long-time rival to help launch his academy as a special guest and graciously, Federer accepted. During the launch, Nadal thanked Federer and said that this moment encapsulated the special moments they shared on the court as rivals. In response, here is what the Swiss legend said –
“Thanks for the invitation Rafa, I wish you all the best and I hope it’s going to be wonderful academy. One thing’s for sure, I know where I’m going to send my kids if they want to learn tennis, I’m going to send them right here.”
