“I Was Trying to Kill”- Rafael Nadal Reveals Why His Roger Federer Rivalry Stands Above Novak Djokovic’s in Fans’ Hearts

Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal: A rivalry built on sheer respect, admiration, and friendship. From the sweltering courts of Miami (2004) to an emotional farewell in London (2022), these two tennis greats left behind a legacy of almost two decades for us to celebrate. It all started with the 17-year-old Nadal stunning everyone with his impressive straight-set win over the then-world number one, Roger Federer, in Miami. “I was impressed with what I saw,” Federer said after that match. That’s how it started and the rest is history. Despite both of them having retired from the sport now, the rivalry still holds a special place in the hearts of all tennis fans. Why is it so? Well, recently Nadal dropped his verdict on why the fans enjoyed his rivalry with Fed more than his battles with the other megastar, Novak Djokovic.

Roger Federer was ruling the tennis world in the early 2000s until the Spaniard emerged as his biggest rival. Nadal defeated Federer repeatedly in the early years of their rivalry. Both of them finished their careers with the H2H record being in favor of Nadal at 24-16. In October 2024, during an interview with the Spanish outlet AS, the 14-time Roland Garros champion said, “I’ve played Djokovic more than anyone else, but for me, my biggest rival was Federer. When I came onto the circuit, Federer was already there, and he was the first. In the prime years of my career, it was Roger and Novak. But in those early years, which are so impactful, it was always Roger.“

Together, the ‘Big 3’ of the tennis world have clinched a staggering 66 Grand Slam titles. Although both Federer and Nadal have retired from the sport, Djokovic is still active. Time will tell how many more the Serb can add to the tally, but what made Nadal’s rivalry with Federer more special than that with Novak? During a recent episode of ‘Served with Andy Roddick,’ Nadal shed light.

He said, “With Roger, the rivalry was a little bit more attractive for the fans than with Novak against me. Even if I played more times against Novak and we played the same important matches or even more, but with Roger the strategy was more clear.”

Rafa also spoke about how he had to change his game when it came to facing someone like Federer. “He was trying to do one thing, I was trying to do another thing. I was trying to kill his backhand all the time, and even if I had the chance to play the shot down the line (to his forehand side), it was only for two reasons. One, I go for the winner or two because I need to put him away from that side to create more space,” he added.

The Spanish maestro further continued, “He(Federer) was trying to avoid that, he was trying to play more aggressive, and every time he hit a forehand, I would take a step back. For me, his forehand was the best I played against.“

He said, “With Roger, the rivalry was a little bit more attractive for the fans than with Novak against me. Even if I played more times against Novak and we played the same important matches or even more, but with Roger the strategy was more clear.”

Rafa also spoke about how he had to change his game when it came to facing someone like Federer. “He was trying to do one thing, I was trying to do another thing. I was trying to kill his backhand all the time, and even if I had the chance to play the shot down the line (to his forehand side), it was only for two reasons. One, I go for the winner or two because I need to put him away from that side to create more space,” he added.

The Spanish maestro further continued, “He(Federer) was trying to avoid that, he was trying to play more aggressive, and every time he hit a forehand, I would take a step back. For me, his forehand was the best I played against.”

It was more like a “chess match,” according to Nadal. They last played against each other in the SF of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. Nadal got the victory in their first match, but Federer ended this epic rivalry with a thrilling 7-6(3),1-6,6-3,6-4 triumph over the Spaniard. How highly does Roger Federer rate this rivalry?

Well, in 2019, even Federer said that his rivalry with Nadal was more special than the one with Djokovic because of the longevity. However, he didn’t forget to mention, “They are the guys who pushed me more to the limit.” When Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from the sport, Federer penned a heartfelt note for his long-time rival, saying Nadal “challenged” him in ways no one else could, and he was the one who made him enjoy tennis “even more.”

However, talking about the other rivalry, Nadal might have a lead over the Swiss, but he ended his career trailing Djokovic by 29-31. Is Djoker then his greatest rival on paper? In reply to a similar question during the award ceremony at the Mundo Deportivo’s 77th annual Grand Gala in February this year, Nadal said, “I would say, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, it’s difficult to choose. My career is linked to both of them, the three of us have pushed each other to be better.” What does Nadal have to say about the ‘Big 3’ pushing each other to become the best in the game?

“Physically, this has harmed us” – Rafael Nadal sheds light on the other side of sharing an intense rivalry

66 Grand Slam titles and occupying the world number one spot for a total of 947 weeks come with its own consequences. Tennis was always a grueling sport, and this epic rivalry between Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic made it much tougher to thrive. While talking about the impact of sharing such an intense rivalry, leaving no stones unturned, Nadal said, “It’s true that we’ve taken things from each other, but it’s fair to say that one of us, without the other two, wouldn’t have reached the numbers that the three of us have achieved.“

During his speech at the same award ceremony, he added, “In some ways, we have pushed ourselves to the limit in every sense. Physically this has harmed us quite a bit, but on a tennis and mental level it has taken us to the next level of demand and that is why we have been able to have such a long career.” However, it’s not that he never praised Djokovic in the past.

In October 2024, during an interview, Nadal talked about Novak Djokovic’s incredible ability to maintain a very high level and improve every year. “The numbers show he’s the best, which means his tennis has also been the best. And he’s been the most injury-free, which allowed him to maintain his physical, mental, and tennis levels longer than anyone. That’s why he’s the best,” the Spanish maestro said.

Even during his recent conversation at Andy Roddick’s podcast, Nadal highlighted that the Serb was the best he ever played against, when it came to ball control. Do you agree? Which of the two rivalries did you enjoy more – Nadal Vs Federer or Nadal Vs Djokovic?