The rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was one of the most talked about topics in the tennis world during their playing days. It started at the 2004 Miami Masters when the 17-year-old Rafa surprised everyone by beating the then-world number one Federer in straight sets. However, it was the Swiss who had the last laugh in their latest encounter at the 2019 Wimbledon. An unusual feature of this rivalry was that, although these two seemed friendly with each other, their fans were always at loggerheads. Recently, a former WTA pro highlighted how Nadal had to go through hate from Federer fans during his early days.

If Federer made tennis look pretty much effortless, then Nadal was famous for his tenacity on the court. The Spaniard was always more than ready to take cover all the hard yards to bring the results in his favor. Both of their playing styles may be different, but they created the same legacy in the racquet sport. 

The ‘King of Clay’ took his retirement from the racquet sport on 19 November 2024. Now, just five days after that, Andrea Petkovic, a former German player decided to write a blog on the occasion of the end of Rafael Nadal’s career. In that blog, she recalled a fact that everyone had somewhat forgotten when the Spaniard made his debut on the professional circuit. What is it, though?

At the time, Rafael Nadal was rising to the top of the tennis world, Roger Federer was then already the undisputed king of the men’s Tour and obviously a crowd favorite. Seeing him destroy their idol’s invincibility was obviously a bit hard to digest for the Federer fans initially. Recalling those moments from the past, Petkovic added, “Nowadays, people forget the adversity that Rafa had to face from the public. People loved Roger Federer and could not imagine an opponent as dangerous as this boy from Manacor whose whipped forehand opened the court in a way that was thought to be geometrically impossible. Rafael Nadal held his ground. He did his thing, kept winning, kept beating Roger with grace and humility.“

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have faced each other 40 times in their career and each of their meetings created a magical moment that the tennis world cherishes even now. Rafael Nadal has a lead of 24-16 over the ‘Swiss Maestro’ in the H2H! Andrea Petkovic also spoke about how with time, Rafael Nadal’s incredible talent and personality helped him add a few fans to his fanbase.

“And slowly, they began to like him, increasingly they warmed to him, in the end: they loved him. Passionately. For his decency and his broken English, for the random music video where he makes out with Shakira, and his humor that started to shine through once his English improved. Most of all, they loved him for his fighting spirit on the court. First, he won titles; then he won the hearts of the people that were so ready to hate him, ” said the 37-year-old German. How did Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer feel about their relationship?

“Your old friend is always cheering for you” – Roger Federer’s heartfelt note on Rafael Nadal’s retirement

Beyond these epic battles over the years, both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal shared a very strong bond with each other. For example, in a previous interview, Roger Federer claimed, “I’m his (Rafa’s) No. 1 fan; I think his game is simply tremendous. He’s an incredible competitor and I’m happy we’ve had some epic battles in the past.” Even Nadal has time and again, heaped praise on his fiercest rival. For instance, he once said, “If anyone says I am better than Roger, then he doesn’t know anything about tennis.“

That’s how strong their bond grew over time, but the tension between their fans always remained the same! When Roger Federer took retirement from the sport, Rafael Nadal said, that seeing Federer leaving the Tour made him feel like an important part of his life is leaving too! We saw how these two legends were crying inconsolably while holding each other’s hands at the 2022 Laver Cup. Later on, Federer revealed that he had that picture framed in his house. 

That single picture reflected their camaraderie, rivalry, and friendship in a single frame! What did Roger Federer write to pay tribute to the Spaniard’s incredible career? Well, he wrote quite a long note for Rafael Nadal on his retirement, he highlighted literally every single moment they had shared with each other on and off the court. However, the part of that note that really touched the hearts of the fans was Federer saying, “You made me reimagine my game…Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more… I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next. Rafa that! Best always, your fan, Roger.” Share your thoughts on this unique friendship in this extremely competitive world.