“Never Wanted To See Roger Federer Go”: Tiger Woods Laments Friend’s Retirement as He Prepares for the Same for Rafael Nadal

Tiger Woods and Roger Federer are synonymous with being trailblazers in their respective professional sports. Woods, the legendary golfer has followed Federer’s journey closely and is a big fan of the Swiss superstar. Recently, the American was discussing the retirement of Roger Federer and admitted like many sports lovers, that he did not want to see the 20-time Grand Slam winner retire.

In the mid-2000s, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer were often seen cheering for each other during their matches. A young Federer was making waves in tennis at a time when Woods was dominating the golf scene. They became friends courtesy their common sponsor at the time, Nike.

However, that friendship developed more in 2006, when Federer was participating at the Miami Open. Tiger Woods attended the event to support the Swiss legend and he repaid the favor by rooting for Woods during the Doral Open. Speaking on Federer’s retirement in an interview with Tennis365, Tiger Woods admitted that retirement is a reality for every sportsperson, no matter how great they are as age plays a big role in their eventual decline.

“Every athlete faces it. Although in some sports it happens faster than others, and unfortunately, just like every sport, you get aged out. I didn’t want to see him go. I never wanted to see Fed [Roger Federer] go, but that’s what happened.”

Tiger Woods is closer to Rafael Nadal than Roger Federer but has respect for both of them for their achievements. Woods also said in the same interview that Nadal is the toughest sportsperson he has ever seen, especially after his Australian Open 2022 win on a ‘broken foot’. The golfer is extremely excited to see the Spaniard back in action in 2024 like many of his supporters and other neutral tennis lovers.

Roger Federer and Tiger Woods are not friends anymore

Roger Federer and Tiger Woods were close friends until the early 2010s. However, the duo are reportedly not on talking terms now. In an interview in 2018, Federer admitted that Tiger Woods’ infamous extramarital affair was the reason behind them not being friends anymore.

The golfer started to cut ties with his friends after the matter and also completely changed his contact details. However, Federer said that he respects Woods’ decision and privacy.

Roger Federer has kept the door open towards a reunion with his old friend and said that he is just a call away. The Swiss further added that Tiger Woods was not just a friend but a huge support system for him throughout the years. While Federer has retired from tennis, Tiger Woods is still competing in golf.