via Getty
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Rafael Nadal of Team Europe speaks with teammate Roger Federer during a practice session ahead of the Laver Cup 2019 at Palexpo on September 19, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Laver Cup will see six players from the rest of the World competing against their counterparts from Europe. Team World is captained by John McEnroe and Team Europe is captained by Bjorn Borg. The tournament runs from September 20-22. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
via Getty
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Rafael Nadal of Team Europe speaks with teammate Roger Federer during a practice session ahead of the Laver Cup 2019 at Palexpo on September 19, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Laver Cup will see six players from the rest of the World competing against their counterparts from Europe. Team World is captained by John McEnroe and Team Europe is captained by Bjorn Borg. The tournament runs from September 20-22. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
Roger Federer is regarded as one of the most dominant players in history, having won 20 Grand Slam titles. He used to simply smash his opponents until the arrival of Rafael Nadal. Federer and Nadal have been involved in a number of intense matches since then.
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Federer has won great matches on the tennis court, but he faced many heavy defeats as well. The Swiss tennis legend, Federer recently revealed that his most disappointing defeat came against the Spaniard, Nadal.
Roger Federer talked about his most disappointing defeat
The 20 grand slam title winner, Federer, was recently featured in an interview in which he recalled his illustrious two-decade tennis journey. Meanwhile, he also talked about the best and worst tennis matches he had ever played on the tennis court. When he was asked to pick his most disappointing defeat, the Swiss chose his encounter against the Spaniard, Rafael Nadal.
Federer stated, “Probably Wimbledon 2008,” He revealed that it was the Wimbledon 2008 final match against Nadal.
He further added,” Just because the way it ended in the darkness with Rafa. “There was so much on the line. It needed a winner. And it went his way. And it was heartbreak.”
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The Swiss tennis player, Federer revealed that his most disappointing defeat occurred in the final match of Wimbledon in 2008. He was defeated in the match that lasted 4 hours and 48 minutes. The Spaniard, Nadal won the match 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7. Many tennis fans consider it to be one of the greatest matches in the sport’s history.
Rafael Nadal paid an emotional tribute to the Swiss Maestro
The Swiss Maestro, Federer, and the Spanish tennis legend, Nadal were regarded as two of the most ferocious rivals in tennis history. They played each other on the tennis court 40 times. However, Nadal emerged victorious, leading Federer 24-16.
Despite their intense rivalry on the court, they remained good friends throughout their tennis journey. Following, Federer’s decision to retire, his friend and rival, Nadal shared a heartfelt message on his social media to pay tribute to him.
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Dear Roger,my friend and rival.
I wish this day would have never come. It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world.
It’s been a pleasure but also an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court 👇🏻— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) September 15, 2022
The Spaniard remarked that it was a great honor for him to share so many great moments on the tennis court with Federer.
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Some of the other tennis legends, like Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Diego Schwartzman, and many others, posted emotional messages for Federer. Even some legendary athletes from different sports have paid homage to the Swiss. The Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi penned an emotional message for the tennis legend.
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