‘Got Heated and It Was Intense’ – Roger Federer Lays Bare The Harsh Reality Behind His Long-Lasting Friendship With Rafael Nadal

The Swiss tennis legend, Roger Federer, recently posted a heartfelt message on his social media, announcing his decision to retire from tennis. He dominated the ATP tour by smashing his opponents until the Spaniard, Rafael Nadal came to the scene. Since then, Federer and Nadal have been regarded as the most ferocious rivals in the history of tennis.

The two tennis legends shared many heartfelt moments as they both admired each other. But the 20 grand slam title winner, Federer revealed that there were also some difficult moments during his long-lasting friendship with Nadal.

Roger Federer talked about his friendship with Rafael Nadal

The rivalry between the Swiss Maestro and the Spaniard, Nadal, will come to an end with Federer’s retirement. Their rivalry produced some of the sport’s most memorable moments. The legendary rivalry gave way to mutual respect and friendship. The Swiss tennis legend, Federer also remarked that they both respect each other and their families. He stated, “I think both families respect each other a lot, my parents, his parents,” 

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He continued by saying that they were occasionally engaged in fierce debate on the tennis court, which led to some tense and heated moments between them. He added that they also got a little bit agitated at each other. Federer said, “Both teams, yes, it got heated and it was intense in certain moments. Naturally, you get a little bit agitated sometimes at each other, but I think, overall, always me and Rafa, we were always able to keep a cool head throughout.”

Federer went on to say that despite their heated arguments, they both managed to retain their cool throughout their matches. As a result, Federer and Nadal’s fierce rivalry on the court had no impact on their friendship. They have always respected and admired each other as tennis rivals and as friends.

Tennis legends pay tribute to Federer

From Billie Jean King to Serena Williams, some of the greatest tennis players of all time paid tribute to the Swiss Maestro. The 20 grand slam title winner, Federer recently stunned the tennis world by announcing his retirement. The Swiss tennis star had endured numerous injuries in recent years. Federer was finding it hard to participate in any tennis tournaments due to his injuries.

Social media was flooded with farewell messages for Federer as many tennis greats paid tribute to him. Some of the greatest players like Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams, and many others paid tribute to the Swiss tennis legend.

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