The tennis fraternity saw one of the most emotional moments in the sport’s history yesterday. 20-time Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer bid adieu to tennis after playing the last match of his career at the Laver Cup. The Swiss maestro appeared on the court for one final time after fighting a lengthy battle against a knee injury. He teamed up with none other than Rafael Nadal, with whom he played in numerous memorable encounters.

After the match, the two were spotted seated in their seats with tears flowing from both players’ eyes. It indicated how much the moment meant for Federer and Nadal and the mutual respect they have for each other. However, Nadal once lashed out at Federer for not supporting him.

Rafael Nadal once criticized Roger Federer

During the Australian Open earlier this year, Nadal called out Federer for not speaking enough against the congested tennis schedule. Lashing out at the Swiss maestro, Nadal said, “Maybe [Federer] has got a super body and he’ll finish his career like a rose. Neither myself, nor Murray, nor Djokovic are going to finish our careers like a rose.”

However, Federer dismissed the way people perceived him, saying, “People see me on the court and they’re like, ‘Oh, my God! He’s so gifted! Like, he can do it all by himself!’” He went on to say that it was nonsense.

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Nadal has often criticized the ATP for their hectic tournament schedule. In 2020, he even lashed out at the scheduling of the ATP Cup before the Australian Open.

Nadal’s victorious Australian Open campaign

Earlier this season, the Spaniard capped off a brilliant Australian Open campaign as he came out on top. Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev in the summit clash to clinch his 21st Grand Slam title.

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It was one of his greatest victories, as he had to come back from two sets down to prevail over Medvedev. With this win, Nadal won just his second Australian Open title.