Roger Federer’s touching tribute to Rafael Nadal has us walking down the memory lane of unabashed nostalgia for the Fedal supremacy era
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
The rivalry of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal is one for the record books. Along with Novak Djokovic, these leviathans went on to become the pillars of men’s tennis in the 21st century. While Djokovic made an entry at a later stage, Roger and Rafa spent their early years battling each other. It is the opinion of most tennis gurus that Federer and Nadal were each other’s check-and-balance, jostling about on tennis courts across continents in a rage to pick up titles. While Roger was enjoying a dream run on grass and hard surfaces, a slightly younger Rafael Nadal entered the scene to single-handedly dominate the clay court. The result of this professional thrust and parrying was a relationship based on everlasting respect, one termed as #Fedal. What started as rivalry, blossomed into an unexpected friendship, coveted by tennis fans all across the world, with the duo entertaining with us rare on-court pairings.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have not only established a lasting grip over the top echelons of tennis, but they’ve also embodied the spirit of sportsmanship throughout their careers. They are usually the first to congratulate the other after a big victory, leaving the fans in a whirlpool of emotions over their old favourites. The 2022 Australian Open was no different. Roger Federer did not waste a minute to publicly congratulate the man who was arguably been the biggest thorn on his part, and his greatest rival.
“I am proud to share this era with you” – Roger Federer to Rafael Nadal
Roger Federer took to Instagram to pen a heartfelt note, addressed to his friend Rafa, congratulating the Spaniard. “WHAT A MATCH! To my friend and great rival Rafael Nadal. Heartfelt congratulations on becoming the first man to win 21 grand slam singles titles. A few months ago we were joking about both being on crutches. Amazing. Never underestimate a great champion. Your incredible work ethic dedication and fighting spirit are an inspiration to me and countless others around the world. I am proud to share this era with you and honored to play a role in pushing you to achieve more. As you have done for me for the past 18 years. I am sure you have more achievements ahead but for now enjoy this one!,” Federer wrote.
Australian Open 2017: Tussle of Titans
While Roger Federer’s excitement on Rafael Nadal’s victorious quest is extremely palpable, it brings to mind an Australian summer from 5 years ago, when it was the Swiss Maestro who was up on the podium receiving the Norman Brooks Challenge Cup. Many parallels can be drawn between the two instances that happened in the span of half a decade. In both cases, Federer and Nadal had taken early retirement the year prior, with nervousness over their tentative return to the game. In 2017, after an intense 5 set battle, Roger Federer had bested Nadal and won a slam after over 4 years.
In his speech, the first person he acknowledged was Rafa. “I’m out of words and Rafa said so many great things. I’d like to congratulate Rafa on an amazing comeback. I don’t think either of us thought we’d be in the finals when we were at your academy four or five months ago.” To the thundering applause, he had further said “I would have been happy to lose too, to be honest. It (the match) was perfect as it was. Tennis is a tough sport, there are no draws but if there was one, I would have been happy to accept it and share it with Rafa tonight,” Federer had said.
Fedal: A tale of feud and friendship
The two titans of tennis have clashed a whopping 40 times in their professional career. Rafael Nadal leads the head-to-head at 24-16. From Roland Garros 2005 to US Open 2007, the duo collected all the major trophies, 11 in total. Furthermore, on two separate occasions, the duo have shared 6 consecutive grand slam wins, from 2008 French Open to 2009 Wimbledon; and 2017 Australian Open to 2018 French Open. From 2005 to 2011, and in 2017, the Swiss-Spaniard duo finished the seasons as the top two ranked players. Since tournament seedings are based on ATP rankings, with the top two seeds placed on opposite sides of the draw, 25 of Nadal and Federer’s 40 matches have been in tournament finals, including an all-time record 9 Grand Slam finals and 12 Masters 1000 finals. Another 10 have been in semifinals, 2 have been in quarterfinals, and only 3 taking place before the last-eight stage.
While unflinching statistics tell an intimidating tale of bitter duels, what it lacks is nuance. One cannot speak of the two tennis greats without acknowledging the sheer cultural impact they’ve had on the sport. Despite being competitive to the core, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have maintained high professional and personal regard for each other. While each has slightly criticized the other in the past, there is no indication of bad blood between them whatsoever.
During the early days of their on-court meets, Roger Federer was decidedly ambivalent about their supposed rivalry, probably not seeing a threat in someone younger. However, Rafael Nadal’s slow and steady rise to top, and single-handed dominance over his surface of choice, made the Swiss change his tune. In the final of Wimbledon 2008, often touted as one of the greatest tennis match of all times, Nadal defeated Federer and firmly set himself as the Maestro’s greatest rival.
21 majors ?
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 31, 2022
One @RafaelNadal ?
?? #AusOpen • ?? @rolandgarros • ?? @wimbledon • ?? @usopen pic.twitter.com/rDASLCnaDH
In the subsequent years, the pair would go on to pick many more titles, but what enthralled the tennis world was a bond forged in the crucibles of rivalry and respect.In the recent years, Federer and Nadal have delighted fans on many occasions namely, inviting each other for exhibition matches to raise funds for their causes, Rafael Nadal inviting Roger Federer to inaugurate the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, and fulfilling every tennis fans’ lifelong dream of seeing the duo on the same side of the net, by playing doubles in the Laver Cup.While the scale of their cultural impact on global tennis cannot be quantified, a common sentiment that is echoed by fans across the globe is one of gratefulness of existing in the same generation as these legends, and being able to witness one of the greatest rivalries of all times.
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Aradhana Nayak
(189 Articles Published)