‘Part of My History in Tennis Has Also Come to an End’- 8 Months After Breaking Tennis Fans’ Hearts, Rafael Nadal Gives Emotional Roger Federer Revelation

If you are an avid tennis fan, you are undoubtedly mindful of the extraordinary impact Roger Federer had on the tennis world. You might have many moments in your life where you marveled at the Swiss Maestro’s artistry on the tennis court. But did you know that he had a profound impact on Rafael Nadal, his biggest adversary, and archenemy?

The Federer-Nadal on-court rivalry over the years took a wonderful turn, and they grew close. Their bond was clearly evident when the Swiss maestro played the last match of his career with Nadal nearly eight months ago.

Rafael Nadal made a huge Roger Federer revelation

In an interview with Sani Magazine, the 22-time Grand Slam champion talked about the 41-year-old tennis legend’s retirement. In addition, he also talked about how the Swiss ace has influenced him as a tennis player while recalling their moments from Federer’s farewell match last year.

He said, “I have said repeatedly that those moments were sad for me, but also for our sport, since Roger brought much to tennis. With his stopping, part of my history in tennis has also come to an end, and that was a sad moment. We know that’s life and it was simply a natural reaction.”

However, both of them have been on-court rivals for around 18 years, and the Swiss maestro has always been a huge part of Nadal’s tennis career. The pair, known as Fedal, went off against one another 40 times on a tennis court, with the Spaniard having a 24-16 advantage overall. Their rivalry began when the 17-year-old Spanish player beat the two-time Grand Slam champion in the 2004 Miami Open. Rafa also held a lead in Grand Slam matches; he has won 10 games compared to Federer’s four.

Likewise, he gained the upper hand over the Swiss’ three major victories against him in the Grand Slam finals. But last year, when he saw his biggest rival’s tennis career coming to an end, he was quite upset to see him go.

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Last year before the Laver Cup, the 37-year-old tennis player opened up about his relationship with his good friend, Federer. And along with that talked about their long-term rivalry on the tennis court.

Nadal treasures his rivalry with Federer 

Last year, right before Wimbledon, the Spaniard at a pre-tournament conference remarked about how he and Federer had achieved a lot of things together.

Talking about their rivalry, Nadal 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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After all the intense head-to-head matches between the two tennis legends, the Swiss maestro ended his career by playing doubles match with Nadal  his partner at the Laver Cup. Safe to say, it was a rather poetic ending to tennis’ most famed rivalry.

What do you think about the relationship between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer? Let us know in the comments below.