Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer (Twitter)
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal share a great camaraderie despite being arch-rivals for more than two decades – what was the Spaniard’s special nickname for the Swiss Maestro?
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have been the best of friends since early days, and they continue to share a wholesome camaraderie. Back in 2006, Nadal had revealed in an interview that he fondly addresses Roger as ‘Rogelio’ and even texts him when the Swiss maestro wins tournaments.
Fast forward to today, both the legends are still the best of friends and Federer played the last match of his professional career, partnering Nadal in the doubles tie of the Laver Cup.
Nadal and Federer dominated the Tennis circuit for more than a decade as arch-rivals but that hasn’t affected their personal friendship one bit. Federer retired from the sport in December last year and Nadal is in the twilight of his career currently – we certainly miss the on-field rivalry between the two icons of the sport.
When Federer bid goodbye to the sport in the Laver Cup 2022, Nadal was visibly in tears especially when Federer was delivering the farewell speech on the court. This raw emotion certainly speaks volumes about the mutual respect and admiration that the two players share.
Rafael Nadal has been out of action with a hip injury since the Australian Open earlier this year. He was expected to make a comeback during the clay-court season, but the injury has forced him to withdraw from the initial few clay-court events.
The 22-time Grand Slam Champion hasn’t played a match since his second-round loss at the Australian Open. Nadal is patiently waiting for a full recovery before coming back but it’s not certain when he will eventually be able to play.
The Spaniard recently slipped out of the top 10 of the men’s singles rankings for the first time since 2005 because of his inactivity on the tour due to the injury.
Nadal has been in the Top 10 since April 2005 but fell to No.13 in the latest ATP rankings after being out of action for more than two months in 2023. While Nadal and his coaching staff are very positive about his full-time return to the tour, it remains to be seen if the Spaniard’s ageing body can cope with the hectic demands of the professional circuit.
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