Rafael Nadal reveals the biggest mistake Roger Federer did during their historic rivalry on the tennis circuit

Rafael Nadal dominated his rivalry with Roger Federer in the early part of their careers with most of their matches being played on clay.

Rafael Nadal reveals the biggest mistake Roger Federer did during their historic rivalry on the tennis circuit

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (via X)

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer created one of the most iconic rivalries, not just in tennis but in all of sports. The duo not only battled in some of the greatest matches of all time but also attracted a new generation of fans to tennis.

However, it was a rivalry largely dominated by Nadal, especially in the early years. The Spaniard has revealed one key mistake that Federer made during their initial encounters.

YouTube video

When he played very well, he would beat me, when I did, I’d win. At the beginning of my career, I beat him more on clay, then came the moment when I could defeat him on hard court, and towards the end of his career he took a step forward and started playing much more aggressively. To me, he made some mistakes at the beginning of my career against me: he tried to play his backhand with topspin, giving me the chance to keep playing with my forehand on his backhand.

Rafael Nadal on Served With Andy Roddick podcast

The “Fedal” rivalry began in the 2004 Miami Open, where a teenage Nadal defeated then-World No. 1 Federer in straight sets. The performance was astonishing, given that the Swiss Maestro had just won his first Australian Open title and followed it up with a victory at Indian Wells.

FS Video

In 2017, to me, Roger had moments of his best level ever. Why? You felt like you were at his mercy. On hard court, on clay maybe it was different (laughs). It’s true, he didn’t play much on clay that year. He played super aggressively, his serve was very tricky to read… it was very precise, but Roger’s serve was very hard to read because it was unpredictable, he could change where he sent the ball at the last moment.

Rafael Nadal added

That was the pattern in most of their early matches, as Federer managed to win only one until the 2006 Wimbledon final, where he broke a five-match losing streak against Nadal. Eventually, the rivalry ended with a 24-16 record in favor of Nadal, with their last match taking place in the 2019 Wimbledon semifinal.

Jannik Sinner goes closer to Rafael Nadal in an astonishing feat

On Monday, Jannik Sinner reached a big milestone in his tennis career. The 23-year-old has now been the ATP world number one for 40 weeks. This achievement puts him on the same level as tennis great Ilie Nastase. He is also getting closer to Andy Murray‘s record.

Jannik Sinner and Rafael Nadal
Jannik Sinner and Rafael Nadal (via X)

Sinner has now joined a special group of players. Only a few have stayed at number one for at least 40 weeks during their first time at the top. This is not easy to do. His skill and hard work have helped him stand out.

With this success, Sinner is now in great company. He joins famous players like Roger Federer, Jimmy Connors, Lleyton Hewitt, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Ilie Nastase. These legends have all held the top spot for a long time.

Sinner faces new challenges but remains strong. If Alexander Zverev does not pass him by April’s end, Sinner will match Nadal’s record. After that, he will set his sights on Djokovic.