Top-seeded Tennis star Rafael Nadal recently reflected on the bond he shared with his long-time rival and close friend Roger Federe r. The Swiss legend spent 14 months side-lined by injury before playing his final competitive Tennis match at the Laver Cup , in the doubles alongside Nadal before retiring.
It was an emotional weekend for the Tennis fraternity as the legend Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were pictured sobbing at the Team Europe player bench following the Swiss star's last dance before his Big Four rivals, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, led tributes for him in the coming days.
While it's been months since Federer played his last competitive game, Spaniard has once again looked back on his rival's retirement. He claimed that there was something special about their rivalry despite facing Djokovic more times in his career.
"There are many experiences together; important moments shared in our lives as rivals and teammates. A part of me has left with Roger. Someone I have admitted, whom I have rivalled and shared many beautiful things with on and off the court, was leaving"
"So, in that sense, all those moments, those feeling you have before playing in the final of a Grand Slam, of an important tournament, everything that was in the air before those matches. It was different from other matches, "Nadal told a reporter ahead of an exhibition match in Argentina.
Notably, Nadal's own future in sports remains in the air even though he won the season's opening two majors. With the help of a series of painkillers, Nadal clinched his record-extending 14th French Open title in June by winning the Australia Open.
An abdominal injury forced the 36-year-old Spaniard to withdraw from Wimbledon before his semi-final showdown with Nick Kyrgios. "I am quite prepared for my next life outside Tennis. I don't think it will be a problem for me beyond what will be an adaptation to the changes. My life has things equally or more important than Tennis, "he added.