Former world no.1 Chris Evert once opened up about the fan-favorite topic of rivalry between two tennis icons. Much like Chrissie’s own frenemy Martina Navratilova, this duo has a crazy history as well. In a game where most players do not have a very long career, these two ATP legends have managed to be a part of the Big 3. They have ruled tennis for almost twenty-five years, simultaneously.

Yes, we are talking about the ‘Swiss Maestro’ Roger Federer, and the ‘King of Clay’, Rafael Nadal. Although Federer retired from professional tennis in 2022, his matches with Nadal are definitely still debated among the two fan clubs. Both Federer and Nadal achieved heights in the game that most players can only dream of. Their contrasting styles and personalities were once topics that Chris Evert elaborated on in an interview.

Chris Evert talks about the rivalry between Rafa and Fed

In a talk with ESPN’s Bonnie DeSimone in 2007, Chris Evert talked about what’s behind the scenes of the Federer-Nadal rivalry. The host asked her, “How much of the Federer-Nadal rivalry is about the contrast in their images as opposed to their playing styles?”

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Evert elaborated, “The beauty of that is they come from two completely different places and they have completely different personalities.” Federer, of course, is born and brought up in Switzerland, where he was coached by the legendary Peter Carter. While on the other hand, Nadal’s game was perfected by his uncle Toni in Spain.

The two also have very strikingly different personalities. Evert elaborated about the same, as she said, “Federer’s calm, he keeps things inside. Nadal wears his heart on his sleeve, he’s more fiery.”

Apart from that, the power duo has a lot of differences in their body language and style. As Evert points out, “Nadal is pumped-up and muscle-bound and hyper. Federer’s more mainstream. He doesn’t look like he’d be an unusual athlete until he goes out there. He’s stately. He has so much stature out there. And they have completely different fan bases.”

Read more: ‘Takes the Pressure Off’ – American Legend Martina Navratilova Once Confessed the Surprising Advantage of Having a Rival Like Chris Evert

While the rivalry between Fed’s and Rafa’s fanbase have always taken over the internet, in reality, the two tennis icons are friends.

Evert talks about Nadal and Federer’s friendship

In a recent interview, Chris talked about how Nadal and Federer have been friends for a long time. Although they were not that close when they started going pro initially, they became friends while competing on the ATP Tour.

During the interview, she highlighted how their rivalry on the court has both pros and cons. For the players, it did mean that they were reduced to just each other’s rivals at times and that pushed back their individual accomplishments.

While on the other hand, both Federer and Nadal have been significant to the growth of the other’s careers. As Evert says, at the moment when you are the only two people left in a locker room before the finals, you start perceiving the other person as more than just an opponent. You start seeing them as more human.