Roger Federer confesses to being relieved of ‘NOT’ playing Rafael Nadal anymore
Roger Federer doesn't want to face his on-court rival, Rafael Nadal.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (Via CNN)
The rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was one of the greatest rivalries in the sport. Both players were at their prime, playing their best tennis, and this rivalry has been termed ‘Fedal’. However, in a recent podcast with ATP, the Swiss maestro recalls the thoughts he had while facing the Spaniard and how relieved he is about not playing against the 22-time Grand Slam title champion anymore.
In a recent podcast, Roger Federer was asked if he missed playing Nadal; to this, the Swiss had a hilarious answer. “Not really, you know. Maybe I’m more happy not to play; I’m just glad I’m not in that tough match where you stare down a centre court match with one of the greats. It’s nerve-racking, you know. I had it so often that it’s good not to have it anymore,” said Federer about Nadal in the ATP tennis podcast.
Throughout his career, the two have played each other 40 times, and the Spaniard has prevailed 24 of those times. However, now the fans may never see them face off against each other again, and Roger is, in fact, happy to not get those nerves again that come with facing the best of the game.
Roger Federer impressed with Nadal’s intensity
Roger Federer was mic’d up at the ATP tennis podcast, where he entertained the fans with his honest opinions. That’s not all; he further spoke about the king of clay, Rafael Nadal, and appreciated his intensity.
“I don’t know Rafa enough off-site, but he’s like a tiger in the cage whenever I see him at the courts and I feel I’m very relaxed on and off-site. He has incredible intensity, he’s always warming up, he’s always going around and there’s always much stuff to do for him and he’s preparing and you can feel like there’s always a match on his mind” said Federer on the podcast.
Interestingly, Roger Federer himself isn’t as free as he states. The Swiss is now preparing for a smooth transition from tennis to the business world. However, he continues to be connected with the tennis world in his own way.
The 20-time Grand Slam title champion was recently honored as the Icon Athlete in Shanghai as a tribute to all the great milestones the Swiss have achieved. With that being said, there is no denying that the tennis world will always remember the heated on-court rivalries between Federer and Nadal and hope that the two legends meet on court for one last time.
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Laxman Naren
(1457 Articles Published)