‘Bothers Me a Little Bit’ – Rafael Nadal on Not Sharing a Prestigious Tennis Court With Roger Federer

Heading to the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Rafael Nadal talked about how he felt uncomfortable about not playing arch-rival Roger Federer at the US Open. Going down the memory lane, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, along with Djokovic, have ruled the sport for the past two decades. Playing against each other a whopping 40 times in their career so far, the two have faced each other in almost every major tournament, except the US Open.

Eying his third major of the year, Rafael Nadal recently attended the pre-tournament press conference at Wimbledon. During the press conference, he opened up about his on-court rivalry with the Swiss maestro, Roger Federer.

Rafael Nadal recalls his rivalry with Roger Federer

Looking back at the incredible career of Roger Federer, one can recall this is the first time since 1999 that the 8-time champion will be missing Wimbledon, the first time in the last 23 years. Considering the stats, a journalist asked Nadal to elaborate on how Federer’s influence on his career.

Recalling the rivalry, the Spaniard said, “We shared a lot of important things together. I think all the things that we achieved is difficult to think of.”

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Answering further, he ended by saying, “…Not in New York. That’s all the things that bother me a little bit. That we never played in New York.”

Is Federer and Nadal’s on-court rivalry the best ever?

As mentioned earlier, the Nadal-Federer rivalry is one of the most adored rivalries in the game. Digging deeper into the rivalry, the two have faced each other 4 times at the Australian Open, 6 times at Roland Garros, and 4 times at Wimbledon.

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As seen by many, over the years, the two have undoubtedly pushed each other to their limits. With Federer missing the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, it is a huge chance for Nadal to shine for the third time at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. He will kick off his Wimbledon journey with a first-round clash against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.