Steve Flink discusses how the relationship between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal evolved despite their initial disputes
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Steve Flink, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
American Journalist Steve Flink, in a recent podcast Court‐side with Beilinson Tennis, went back to the history of the Roger Federer–Rafael Nadal rivalry and gave some insightful thoughts on how their relationship grew from their initial disagreements.
“There were unavoidable difficult moments, like the 2006 Italian Open final, where Roger thought Toni Nadal was talking too much. But they got past those times so easily and so quickly. I think their respect for competing for the most prestigious awards.
“When you play three Roland‐Garros finals in a row and those same years you play the Wimbledon final, there has never been anything like it. How not respect each other when each player is good enough to reach the final on the surface of the other?
“So I think, in a way, the immense mutual respect they have for each other was cemented at that moment“, recalled Steve Flink giving his insight on one of the greatest rivalry the sport has ever seen that also saw the two become best of friends in the later half.
Also read: Serena Williams or Monica Seles: Who won more titles as a teenager?
Rafael Nadal leads Roger Federer in the head-to-head
There was a time when Roger Federer was invincible and he was ruling the tennis courts all over the world. The peak he had between 2004 and 2007 still makes him relevant in the GOAT debate despite going below Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in most of the stats.
Federer won 3 out of 4 Australian Open titles, won all 4 Wimbledon titles and US open titles between 2004 and 2007. That is 11 out of 16 slams won in four years. 3 of the slams Federer lost in this period were against Nadal in the French Opens. Nadal came like he was designed in a lab to beat Federer.
It seemed like Nadal was a secret project to take down Federer. He single-handedly stopped the dominance of the Swiss legend. The ‘Fedal’ rivalry took a new high when Federer finally defeated Nadal in a Grand slam match in the 2017 Australian Open final.
He had to wait for 10 years to finally beat Nadal in a slam match after the 2007 Wimbledon final and the first time he solved the Nadal puzzle outside a grass court on a slam match.
Their head to head still favours Nadal 24-16 overall and 10-4 in slam matches but Federer coped up with Nadal during the final years and beat him in 2 out of their last 3 slam matches.
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Vipul Payattuparambil
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