WATCH: Roger Federer confesses how Rafael Nadal and him didn’t want to stand each other even off the court at the peak of their rivalry

Federer discloses that his friendship with Nadal didn't always exist.

WATCH: Roger Federer confesses how Rafael Nadal and him didn’t want to stand each other even off the court at the peak of their rivalry

(L) Rafael Nadal and (R) Roger Federer (Image via Bleacher Report /The Telegraph)

The two great icons of the tennis world, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, are often lauded not only for their matches but also friendship off the court. As intense as the rivalry has gotten over the years, the friendship has seemed to be that fruitful. However, it wasn’t always like that between the superstars. There was a time when both the players could not stand each other.

During an event in New York, Federer spoke in length about his friendship with Nadal. This is where he disclosed the fact his relationship with the Spaniard wasn’t always as smooth. Federer said,“I think as we got older, we knew that time was passing and we were soon not going to see each other as much. I started a family… it completely changes someone anyway.”

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He continued, “And we started talking about totally different things in life…more injuries and kids…he’s also a father now. So the conversations changed. We also started to respect the rivalry we had and almost miss, playing against each other every other weekend. Back then we couldn’t stand each other, probably for that reason, but he’s a great man and I hope he can come back one more time.”

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Federer did mention that with time maturity stepped and which resolved a lot between the two players. Having a family with his wife, Mirka also changed a lot for the Swiss maestro. He then also said that he wishes the best for Nadal and wants him to make at least one more comeback on the tour. It seems a far-fetched thought, however, with Nadal almost anything is possible.

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The Federer and Nadal rivalry in numbers

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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (Image via Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar)

The early 2000s brought in this evergreen rivalry between Federer and Nadal. The pair met each other on 40 separate occasions. 24 of them were won by Nadal as Federer bagged 16. Out of the 40, 24 were finals and Nadal leads them 14-10. Looking at this rivalry surface-wise, Nadal dominates it massively when it comes to the clay as he holds a 14-2 record on the dirt against his opponent.

On the hard courts, it’s Federer who dominates 11-9 and on the grass again it’s the Swiss who leads 3-1. Federer was the best player in the world when Nadal stepped onto the scene. He still remained the best for a while till Nadal dethroned him. Many often said that Federer had a psychological issue with playing against Nadal. However, in the second wave of their careers in 2017, it was Federer who beat Nadal 5 times in a row to reduce the deficit in the rivalry.

It is certainly a rivalry for the ages. The pair have played in finals all over the world. However, the funny thing is that both have never ever met at the US Open. Not in any round. The closest has been Nadal losing to Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro in 2008 and 09 in the semifinals. And Federer losing to Novak Djokovic in the 2010 and 11 semi finals.

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