Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have faced each other 40 times on the ATP tour.
“Roger Federer expressed contentment with the absence of matches against Rafael Nadal on the ATP tour.”
Federer retired from the sport last year. He was last seen in action at the Laver Cup in London, where he partnered with Nadal in a doubles match and lost to the American pair of Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
The Swiss maestro is currently in Shanghai, where he is being celebrated as the first-ever international ‘Icon Athlete’ at the Masters 1000 tournament. On the sidelines of the event, he spoke to the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast about a variety of issues.
When asked if he missed playing against Nadal on the ATP tour, Federer stated that he was actually happy not to go head-to-head with him anymore.
“I haven’t thought about it, to be honest, if I miss playing Rafa. Not really, you know. Maybe more so happy not to play, just glad I’m not in that tough match where you stare down a centre court match with one of the greats, it’s nerve-racking you know. I had [it] so often that it’s good not to have it anymore, I guess,” he said.
Federer and Nadal faced each other 40 times on the ATP tour, with the former winning 16 times and the latter emerging triumphant 26 times.
“I have always played very well here” – Roger Federer on his love for Shanghai Masters
Roger Federer also stated his love for the Shanghai Masters, a tournament that he won thrice — 2006, 2014, and 2017. He also finished as the runner-up twice (2007 and 2010) and reached the semifinals four times (2003, 2008, 2012, and 2018).
Indicantally, Federer has never been beaten by either Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic in Shanghai. While the Swiss maestro said that he does not keep track of such achievements, he said he did well at the Masters 1000 event because he always prioritized it.
“I didn’t know those records. I’ve checked out of what I’ve done and not done. I don’t go through my life like this no more. I do feel like I have always played very well here, I had a couple of you know wobbles along the way, which I guess is normal,” he said.
“But for the most part, I have always played very well here in Shanghai. I have also made it a priority in my schedule, I rarely played the week before, I never played the Beijing week. I always came here with great preparation and making it a priority. And I think when you prioritize a week in the year, it helps you with your success rate,” he added.
