They shed tears together at the memorable Laver Cup 2022, when Roger Federer took his last bow in the tennis circuit, and bid adieu to his professional career. Rafael Nadal was there in tears. They had spent their whole careers together. And now it was time to say goodbye while the Spaniard continued his journey. However, this was the climax of Federer’s career, when the arch-nemeses turned out to be great friends. The story began with the fact that Nadal’s unique playing style stood as a wall to overcome in front of Federer.

Federer entered the world of professional tennis back in 1998. There was no Nadal to challenge him back then as the then Swiss youngster tried to find his rhythm on the court. Fast forward to 2001, appears the young Spaniard in the circuit with a unique style. And they divided tennis fans into two groups: Federer vs Nadal! Leaving no space for anyone else, Djokovic was a disruptor. However, this is about Federer’s struggle with the King of Clay, who was not ready to be tamed by anyone, consequently keeping Federer on his toes.

In an interview, Federer explained Nadal’s style, which gave him an edge on the clay court, as well as the others. He said, “Because of his unique playing style, being able to play on the baseline, being so good on clay with the bad bounces, with his topspin heavier than anybody I ever played against.” This created a huge issue for the Swiss legend as he tried to break away from Nadal’s web.

Federer further opened up about his strategy to tackle Nadal. But it wasn’t an easy one, as the charismatic Federer too was troubled by doubting himself. He remarked, “He gave me so many more problems than other players could. He made me second-guess myself, go back to the drawing board, and come up with a new master plan — and then also not overthink it.”

Though things did work out sometimes, it didn’t help Federer in escaping the Spaniard’s attack or restricting his flow. He further said, “Sometimes maybe it was just work on your high backhand off the lefty spin that nobody else had liked him. I have to just face that ball more frequently.”

At the end of the day, Nadal was Federer’s ultimate rival. He made him think, act, and sometimes doubt himself, but in the end, the two have been the greatest players in the history of tennis. They certainly helped each other in growing to levels unparalleled, as they became the famous Big 3, including the Serbian sce. A group of their own, a class of their prowess! After retiring, the Swiss Maestro has kept a close eye on Nadal even today.

From competing to supporting: Roger Federer shocked by Nadal’s defeat at Bastad

The Bastad tournament was a memorable one for Nadal fans. After almost 2 years of no-show and early exit, the Spaniard had reached the finals of a tournament. Everyone saw it as a comeback and was hoping that this was it. Nadal would win it. However, it was not supposed to happen that day, as Nadal lost in straight sets to Nuno Borges. The results crushed tennis fans. Federer was also caught in similar emotions when he was asked about Nadal’s game.

During a Vogue interview, when he was asked whether he follows Nadal. The Swiss legend answered in affirmative and when he told about the loss. He said, “Three and two. Oh, God—yeah. I saw he was down 1-0, love-40. That’s the last time I checked, a few hours ago, but when I saw the score, I was like, Oh, no—I hope his body is okay. So, yeah—I do check in with the game almost daily to see scores and results.” He was shocked at the crushing defeat of his rival.

The two legends have certainly grown over each other during their time in the circuit. It’s a beautiful thing to watch them bond and keep track of each other!