Rafael Nadal has made some candid comments about Roger Federer, after insisting their perceived friendship has been blown out of proportion by the media.
Nadal and Federer enjoyed a lengthy rivalry on the court, with the Spaniard ending up with 24 wins and the Swiss maestro claiming 16 victories in their battles.
That advantage was built up by Nadal in their 16 clay court matches, as he won 14 times on his favourite surface and only lost twice against Federer on clay.
For two players who were at the top of the game for so long and fighting against each other for the big prizes, the bond between Nadal and Federer has surprised many in recent years.
Nadal was overcome with emotion as he played a part in Federer’s farewell match at the Laver Cup in 2022 and the pair have worked together to promote charitable events and Nadal’s tennis Academy in Spain.
On the surface, this looks like a rivalry that ended with a very special bond and yet Nadal played down that notion in an interview with El Objectve de La Sexta.
“I wouldn’t consider him a friend, but someone familiar, with whom I have a great relationship,” Nadal stated.
“We have shared most of our careers. We have helped each other.
“We have also taken away a lot. We have achieved a level of self-demand that is difficult to repeat because we knew that we could not fail. That competition pushed us to the limit.”
Nadal and Federer’s rivalry was the dominant narrative in men’s tennis until Novak Djokovic emerged as a credible threat to both of them.
The Serbian has gone on to better their records in Grand Slams and with weeks as world No 1 in impressive fashion and while Nadal has not always been positive towards Djokovic’s success in recent interviews, he was more appreciative this time.
“The image he projects is worse than what he really is,” the Spaniard.
“He’s a good person, with his mistakes… but he’s much better than he looks. To me when someone with so much success has to project.
“Novak breaks his racket but the next point he’s one hundred per cent, that’s why he’s the most successful player in the history of our sport. The numbers don’t lie, he’s the best in history.”
The wide-ranging interview also tapped into when Nadal would retire and whether he will leave tennis with a positive image of the sport as he added: “Tennis has given me the opportunity to live a story that, without this sport, I would never have been able to live. I just get tired that my body doesn’t respond as I would like.”
The reaction to Nadal’s latest comments has been widely positive, with social media observers suggesting his words towards Djokovic were more warm than they have been in previous interviews.
Djokovic and Nadal played a big role in Federer’s exit from tennis when they were part of his final match at the Laver Cup and it will be fascinating to see if the same courtesy will be afforded when the other two greats of this glorious trio call time on their careers.
