The 19-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal holds high regards for his age-old nemesis on the tennis court, Roger Federer and the Spaniard certainly feels, the Swiss is the greatest player which tennis has ever had.

“I think he keeps playing because he likes doing it. Then the competition motivates you and looking at his career, he is the best ever and he would like to end up holding most Majors. In the end, it’s things that time will tell. I will think about myself trying to create as many opportunities as possible,”  Rafael Nadal said.

At the US Open 2019, both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic failed to reach the last four round and either of them was destined to meet Rafael Nadal in the finals. World Number two, Nadal was asked about his mindset when he realized that he was the sole survivor of the ‘Big Three’ in the American major.

“It was an opportunity but as I always say, I can only meet them in the final. So I go on my way on the other side and it doesn’t change a lot. Then if I face them, good. But my goal was to reach the final,” Nadal responded.

Rafael Nadal has played epic matches throughout his career and he has been creating history ever since he lifted up his first Slam as a 19-year-old at Roland-Garros 2005. He was asked to compare his Wimbledon 2008 epic battle against Federer and Australian Open 2012’s toilsome endurance against Djokovic.

“Everything can be compared and cannot. It’s different situations, it was an emotional match, tiring both mentally and physically, you had times where there were many nerves, a high level from both sides, all the things to make it unforgettable,” Rafa said.

The Spaniard played a heroic Wimbledon final in 2008, where he snapped Federer’s 65-match winning streak on grass, halted the Swiss from lifting up his sixth straight Wimbledon title and etched his name in the history books of tennis.

Likewise, his Australian Open 2012 final against his other adversary, Novak Djokovic lasted for five hours 53 minutes. The match is regarded as the war of attrition, their quality of tennis was maintained from the very beginning and the six-hour battle concluded as the longest Grand Slam final in tennis with Djokovic winning over Nadal.