Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer faced each other 40 times at the ATP level, and some of these clashes were more memorable than others. The final of 2007 Wimbledon was one such encounter that had numerous noteworthy moments. Among them, one incident led to Federer losing his cool and expressing frustration during the changeover.
In the third game of the fourth set, Nadal’s return to his opponent’s serve was called ‘out’ by the linesman. However, the Spaniard instantly challenged the call. The Hawkeye proved that Nadal was correct, with the ball touching the line by the finest of margins. The overturned call resulted in Rafa getting the second break of the set, taking a 3-0 lead.
The Swiss star was in denial. He just couldn’t fathom the fact that the ball was barely in play. Mics caught him expressing frustration during the changeover after the game’s conclusion.
“I was sure I was happy to the point where I was like I’m happy he challenged because I knew he was gonna burn it. How in the world was that ball in? Sh*t! Look at the score now. It’s just killing me today,” Federer was groaning when sitting on his bench.
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Rafa forced the match to a fifth set. But Federer won the contest 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2, lifting the trophy for a fifth straight time. However, this incident changed narratives about the Basel native always having an elegant personality.
Why did Roger Federer react in that manner?
For the longest time in his career, Roger Federer was synonymous with suave. Fans would gush over his charm, politeness, and sincerity. However, this on-court outburst changed people’s perceptions. For someone who was lauded for playing the game with a level of composure, Federer suddenly became imperfect by expressing irritation.
The then-World No.1 justified his actions during the post-game press conference.
“If I’m going to go against it, people will always say he doesn’t agree whatsoever. I don’t know how they developed this machine, if they took all possibilities into account: the way the ball travels, the way it bounces, 3D, the whole thing. I was frustrated because already I got broken and then to be broken this way was very irritating,” Federer said.
This change in his temperament helped his supporters understand that Federer was only human. In a way, it allowed his fans to connect with him more than ever.
