For a decade and a half, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer delivered the most effective rivalries in all of sports activities.
The tennis greats confronted one another 40 instances between 2004 and 2019, with Nadal successful 24 of these head-to-head conferences and going 14-10 in opposition to Federer in finals.
With Nadal set to retire after this week’s Davis Cup in his native Spain, Federer took time to replicate on all of it.
“You challenged me in ways no one else could,” Federer wrote in a prolonged tribute to Nadal that he shared Tuesday on social media.
“On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game — even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.”
Nadal, 38, gained 22 Grand Slam singles titles throughout his 23-year profession, together with the French Open a report 14 instances. He gained every of the Grand Slam tournaments at the least twice.
His on-court excellence coincided with that of Nadal, Federer and Novak Djokovic, fueling a “Big Three” period of tennis during which every was ranked the world’s No. 1 participant for greater than 200 weeks apiece.
“I keep thinking about the memories we’ve shared,” the Swiss-born Federer, 43, wrote. “Selling the game collectively. Taking part in that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance report by enjoying in entrance of greater than 50,000 followers in Cape City, South Africa.
“Always cracking each other up,” he continued. “Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies.”
Federer first confronted Nadal within the third spherical of the Miami Masters in 2004, with the latter, then solely 17, successful in straight units.
Nadal beat Federer within the French Open closing in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011; within the Wimbledon closing in 2008; and within the Australian Open closing in 2009.
Federer beat Nadal within the Wimbledon closing in 2006 and 2007 and within the Australian Open closing in 2017.
Instantly-classic match, Nadal famously outlasted Federer, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7, on the All England Membership in 2008.
Federer’s closing match got here in 2022 on the Laver Cup in London with Nadal as his doubles associate.
“Rafa,” Federer wrote Tuesday, “you made me enjoy the game even more.”
