After years of competing against each other on the tennis court, Rafael Nadal has finally opened up about why he doesn’t consider Roger Federer to be his friend. Federer, who retired in September 2022 with 20 major titles, was a central figure in the emotional farewell of tennis greats. Despite Nadal and other players surpassing Federer’s Slam titles, he remains a fan favorite, sparking debates about who should be considered the greatest male player in history.
The rivalry between Nadal and Federer during their peak years was always seen as a display of mutual respect. In an interview with El Objective de La Sexta, Nadal explained that while he admired Federer, they were never close friends. However, they had a strong familiarity and a great relationship. They shared most of their careers, helping and pushing each other to achieve a high level of self-demand.
Nadal and Federer were the only players to finish six consecutive calendar years in the top two rankings. In 2022, Nadal surpassed Federer in the number of Grand Slam titles, winning the Australian Open and the French Open to reach a total of 22 major titles. Nadal also praised his fellow countryman, Alcaraz, for his incredible tennis skills and predicted that he would become one of the best players of his generation.
Due to a lingering hip injury, Nadal has been unable to fully recover and was unable to participate in the Australian Open. However, in the three games he has played this season, the 38-year-old has only suffered one loss. He recently announced that he will not be competing in the Qatar Open next week as he is not yet completely ready.
In case you missed it, this is the latest news regarding Rafael Nadal and his relationship with Roger Federer.
According to the Source firstsportz.com