Toni Nadal, the uncle of Rafael Nadal is full of praises for Roger Federer, who is set to retire after the Laver Cup this month
Toni Nadal was full of praise for Swiss maestro Roger Federer, in his latest interview with El Pais. Toni recalled numerous moments from the past that he feels are the reasons why Federer is not just a great Tennis player but an ideal human being. Toni also referred to how he advised Rafael Nadal to prepare for his matches against Federer during his nephew’s early days in the professional circuit.
In a recent column on El Pais, Toni Nadal says: “Federer has been a role model. He was never rude or arrogant. He never asked the crowd, through gestures to applaud or to root for himself after playing a great point. He always celebrated his wins in an elegant and discreet way.” Toni went on to add that he considers himself immensely lucky to have seen the Swiss maestro trade blows so often with his nephew. Roger Federer is set to retire this month – the Laver Cup being the final tournament of his illustrious professional career.
Let us take a look at how fans on Twitter reacted to Toni’s comments about Federer.
“I agree with Toni Nadal except that asking the crowd through gestures etc is not a sign of rudeness. It’s a part of any sport”, wrote a fan.
“Quite different from Novak’s dad”, wrote another fan, taking a sly dig at Djokovic senior.
“Great description of Roger. Thanks Toni, you are also a class act and deserves a lot of credit for making Rafa a great Champs and a great human being”, tweeted another fan.
“Never rude or arrogant? Are you kidding me? I can show you plenty of videos showing just the opposite”, wrote a fan who doesn’t quite seem to agree with Toni’s statements.
“Wow. This is pretty low.By all means praise Federer, he deserves to retire on a high note…but for Toni Nadal to make this passive aggressive dig at other players who are more exuberant is just unnecessary”, read another tweet.
More Tennis news
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates