“Toughest loss?” When Roger Federer cried his heart out after losing to Rafael Nadal in the 2009 Australian Open final
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have met on numerous occasions in the last two decades and every time they meet, it’s a spectacle to watch. Their rivalry is considered to be the greatest in tennis history and over the years, they have produced some memorable matches. Be it the 2008 Wimbledon final or the 2017 Australian Open final, they never fail to deliver and entertain.
But probably the most emotional and heartbreaking loss of Federer’s career also has come against Nadal- the 2009 Australian Open final. The stage was set for Federer to script history and equal Pete Sampras‘ record of 14 major titles. He was the favorite in the final but after hours of intense battle, it was Nadal who came out as the victor in five sets 7–5,3–6,7–6,3–6,6–2 to win his 6th major title.
Needless to say, Federer was heartbroken after the loss. He couldn’t stop his tears and broke down multiple times. He couldn’t even speak during the trophy presentation initially as tears won’t stop rolling down his cheeks. After a while, Federer gathered the courage to address the crowd but tears just wouldn’t stop. “God, this is killing me,” he said and broke down once again.
As gracious as ever, Nadal approached and comforted his more experienced opponent, as he stepped away from the microphone. Nadal praised Federer and said that he was going to win a lot more than 14 majors.
Why did this loss break Roger Federer’s heart so much?
Before the 2009 Australian Open final, Nadal had beaten Federer in the last 4 matches they played which were all finals. He had also lost the 2008 Roland Garros final and the 2008 Wimbledon final to Nadal which meant that after losing in Melbourne in 2009, he had lost to Nadal 3 times in the last 4 major finals. Adding to that, the buzz around the 2009 Australian Open was that Federer will win the title and finally equal Pete Sampras’ record. All of these situations with the match adrenaline factored in Federer breaking down in the end.
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Lakshya Chopra
(2595 Articles Published)