Rafael Nadal has made some strong revelations about his rival friend Roger Federer. He acknowledged the Swiss maestro’s huge impact on him on and off the court.
The rivalry between Nadal and Federer, one of the most celebrated tennis history includes 40 head-to-head meetings in which the Spaniard leads the record 24-16. The interesting fact is that 24 of their meetings came in the finals.
Nadal and Federer who achieved remarkable success in their careers have developed a friendship beyond the tennis court. Nadal’s acknowledgment of Federer’s impact says that it was not just the competition on the court but also the learnings he had from watching Federer play.
Rafa Nadal says Roger Federer is the player who’s impressed him the most & moved him the most
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) December 31, 2023
“Would you have liked to be Federer if you hadn’t been Rafa Nadal?”
Rafa: “Since I have memory, he is the player who has impressed me the most, the one who has entertained me the most,… pic.twitter.com/AhYQzewskL
In a recent interview, Rafael Nadal mentioned that Roger Federer is the player who impressed him more than Djokovic. He stated that he felt an emotional connection with Federer which had drawn him to the game.
“Since I can remember, he is the player who has impressed me the most, the one who has entertained me the most, the one who has excited me the most.”
“I have been more excited to see Federer play than Djokovic, and in the end tennis is emotion, emotion is what it draws you to it.”
-Rafael Nadal to Spanish publication El Pais
When Novak Djokovic acknowledged Rafael Nadal despite trailing Roger Federer by seven Grand Slam titles
In 2011, Novak Djokovic who is now the world champion called Rafael Nadal the greatest player ever in tennis despite the Spaniard trailing by seven Grand Slams to Roger Federer.
Djokovic defeated Nadal in the final of the Indian Wells and it was where he mentioned the Spaniard as the greatest player ever.
This came in light of Rafael Nadal’s statements from his recent interview with El Pais. He commented on the popularity of his rivalry with Federer more than his rivalry with Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic was new to the circuit compared to Nadal and Federer and had won only two Grand Slams when he won the Indian Wells in 2011. On the other hand, Rafael Nadal had nine and Roger Federer had sixteen Grand Slam titles.
