Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal‘s friendship dates back to their first-ever meeting at the 2004 Miami Open. In the last 19 years, they have maintained a strong bond on and off the court. Despite facing each other 40 times including some of the biggest matches of their career, their relationship was never impacted. However, when times are tough, self and family often take precedence over friendships.

Yesterday, the Halle Open invited Roger Federer on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. Unsurprisingly, the 10-time Halle champion received a standing ovation from the crowd that has seen the Swiss Maestro demonstrate some of his best skills there. The 20-time major champion gave a speech which was followed by an interview. It came off as no surprise that the questions relating to Rafael Nadal grabbed the headlines.

Roger Federer opens up on his relationship with Rafael Nadal

Federer’s response could be a hard pill to swallow for some of the fans, especially the ones attached to their friendship. When asked about maintaining touch with Rafael Nadal, Federer said via Tages-Anzeiger, “Less this year. I wished him all the best with his injury, but otherwise, things have calmed down between us. That probably also showed a bit that he was struggling with his body. It’s always been like this: when he’s not doing so well, things calm down between us.”

Nobody saw this coming considering their love and mutual respect for each other. Nadal’s breakdown at Federer’s retirement symbolized their friendship. But, these words from Federer also explain the magnitude of Nadal’s injury where he is struggling to spare time for his best friend.

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Rafael Nadal had a dream start to the 2022 season, winning back-to-back slams at Australian Open and Roland Garros. He went on to make the Wimbledon semi-finals and looked sharp to finish the season as the year-end number 1. However, injuries derailed his season and the Spaniard struggled to register wins in the second half of the season. Nadal’s form worsened after Federer’s retirement and he only managed to win two of his next eight matches.  The Spaniard also famously said via Eurosport, “A part of my life left with him (Roger Federer)” on the Swiss Maestro’s retirement.

Read More: Famed Tennis Photographer Lays Bare the Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Moment That He Captured and Sold for a Small Fortune

Nadal could only notch up one win during last year’s indoor swing and bowed out of the group stages in the World Tour Finals. The results did not get any better after the off-season as the 22-time major champion faced a second-round exit at the Australian Open.

Do you think that Rafael Nadal lost his motivation for the sport after Roger Federer’s retirement? Do let us know in the comments.

Watch Story: Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer.