Picture Credit: Twitter
Great rivals and even greater friends, the tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal share one of the most unique bonds ever seen at such elite level in professional sport. One of the rarest sights was seen during Federer’s farewell ceremony at the Laver Cup in London last year, when both the tennis giants sat side by side in tears. Not only this, but they have also given their fans numerous memories that made fans re-examine the concept of rivalry and friendship in the game of tennis. In fact, Federer recently said that he will miss Rafael Nadal at the French Open 2023.
Federer recently conducted a Q&A session for his fans on his Twitter, where he asked them to come up with any questions. As many fans came up with different questions, one asked the 20-time Grand Slam champion whether he will miss Nadal playing at this year’s Roland-Garros. To this question, Nadal responded and said that yes, he will miss him in the tournament. He replied, "Yes I will miss seeing him play. French Open + @RafaelNadal = one of the most incredible records in history of all sports."
There is no doubt that Nadal and Federer are considered as the greatest rivals in the game of tennis. However, they have always shared a great bond over the last two decades. They have clashed as many as six times at Roland Garros, with each result going in Nadal’s favour. Notably, the 14-time champion withdrew from the French Open for the first time since 2004 owing to an injury. The first meeting of these two tennis icons came in the round 32 of the 2004 Miami Open, where the 17-year-old Nadal defeated Federer in straight sets.