It is no secret that Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are great friends. These two make their beaming bond stand tall in front of their rivalry. But how thick is their love for each other? For instance, Nadal felt bad for Federer when he valiantly lost a monumental Wimbledon final in 2019! 

The memories instantly take one back, doesn’t it? The 2019 Wimbledon final is one of the best Major finals in history. Two iconic athletes took to the Centre Court and played out an epic match that lasted nearly five hours. 

Novak Djokovic triumphed eventually, but Roger Federer captured fans’ hearts with a stunning display of tennis. Rafael Nadal was one among many who felt a momentary disappointment when the scoreboard displayed 7–6, 1–6, 7–6, 4–6, 13–12 in favor of the Serbian.

Was Rafael Nadal rooting for Roger Federer to win Wimbledon 2019? 

Rafael Nadal did not enjoy a successful outing at the 2019 Wimbledon championships. The Spaniard crashed out in the semi-final against Federer, which marked his second last-four exit in the tournament. 

However, in a recent appearance on ‘La Resistencia,’ the Spaniard spoke about his immediate feelings when he saw Federer reach agonizingly close to the title but losing. “It was a hard loss,” Nadal said about the 2019 final (Quotes translated from Spanish).

When asked if he suffered watching Federer lose, “I think in that moment I did,” Nadal replied. The 33-year-old remained reluctant about mentioning who he rooted for, but acknowledged that it was a “great match.”

Rafa pointed out how Federer managed to draw sets from Djokovic easily, while the Serbian was stretched all the way before he could win a set. “I think this final was very exciting, and we all thought Federer had won in that 40-15,” he added. 

Similar to Nadal’s views, many thought that Federer sealed the game at that moment. But that’s when Djokovic completed a massive comeback by holding his nerve. The best part is that we now know that Rafael Nadal was subtly rooting for Federer all along! 

But in the end, it was Novak Djokovic who took home the honors. The match duration of four hours and 57 minutes is also a record for the longest singles finals in the tournament’s history. Moreover, Djokovic also bettered his Wimbledon finals record against Roger Federer to 3-0).