When Rafael Nadal said that Roger Federer‘s legacy would “stay in the world of sport forever”, everyone took it as a compliment. It has been nearly two years since the Swiss tennis maestro marked an end to his professional career. While fans started to compare his achievements at 38 to those of Rafael Nadal, a new debate emerged after Rafa’s shock loss.

Rafael Nadal recently lost the Bastad final to Nuno Borges in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. The match, besides being an ATP 250 final, had a bigger magnitude as it was Nadal’s first final since the 2022 French Open. Unfortunately, the Spaniard was seen having a hard time holding his serve and, therefore, his rival Borges took full advantage. Borges broke Nadal’s serve five times, which helped him secure his first Tour-level title.

While the results were disappointing for the “King of Clay”, he couldn’t stop himself from praising Borges along with admitting that it wasn’t his best day. “Today wasn’t my best day, but all the credit to Nuno. He played very well and it was so difficult for me, so well done,” Nadal said. Despite the loss, Nadal mentioned he had enjoyed the last week in Bastad, playing some long matches and cherishing a long-lost momentum.

Although the event’s story met an unexpected end, the outcomes were drastic. Rafa fans were boasting about the fact that he made it to a tour-level final at the of 38, the defeat allowed Federer fans to enter the chat, creating chaos that was targeted at the Spaniard’s recent defeat.

“Destroyed in a 250 tourney“: Federer fans cherish the opportunity to troll Rafael Nadal

As soon as the Rafa’s defeat at the Bastad Open made its way on social media, fans started showing up in huge numbers. The number of interactive comments was commendable as everyone had something or the other to say about the Spaniard. However, it didn’t take long for Federer fans to find their way into the comment section.

A fan, disregarding the Spaniard for his defeat against an infamous rival, wrote, “Destroyed in a 250 tourney on his favourite surface by a man who had never won an ATP title 😂”. Rafa faced a first-round exit at Roland Garros. While he was in sheer need to endure the competition, participating in an ATP 250 event made sense. Unfortunately, Borges outclassed him and managed to win his first ATP Tour title. 

Another fan, simply taking a big laugh at Rafa’s recent defeat, commented, “He lost🥴🥴🥴🤔🤣.” There was a time when Nadal used to rule this surface and any player would have to give their all to take one point. While the Spaniard came a long way through injuries, it has now become a tough task for the King of Clay to keep his crown.

The debate was all about who among Rafa and Federer was doing better in their late 30s. A fan wrote, “Federer’s longevity is something we don’t talk about enough,” shedding light on the massive achievements that the Swiss tennis maestro attained. Federer played till he turned 41, but Rafa’s injuries have caught up to him at 38.

“Nadal is not good! Tennis always talks about Djokovic but he can’t win even small tournaments,” another fan comment said. Coming from a Federer fan, the statement tried to highlight the current situation of Nadal and Djokovic, both struggling with forms at a much younger than when the Swiss Maestro experienced troubles.

While all of it was beating around the bush, a fan presented stats to claim Federer was better than Nadal. “Not only a title 4 titles; 2019 Season,” he wrote, sharing the massive achievement of Roger Federer, even when he was 38 years old. The Swiss tennis maestro secured titles at Basel, Halle, Dubai, and Miami, along with making it to the final of Wimbledon and the semifinal at the Roland-Garros.

With these and several other comments on a similar note, the fans left no mark to disregard Rafael Nadal for his recent defeat. While the Spaniard managed to secure a place in the finals, his followers are happy to see him play.