Roger Federer was a joy to behold on the tennis court, with fans devastated when he retired from the sport in 2022.
The Swiss icon was involved in countless fascinating battles over the years, one of which involved Rafael Nadal.
The legendary duo met 40 times on the court, with the Spaniard picking up 24 wins compared to Federer’s 16.
But despite that rivalry across the various surfaces, the pair are very close, and share a strong friendship off the court.
Unfortunately for tennis fans, however, more heartache is coming soon, with Nadal approaching retirement.
Roger Federer shares Rafael Nadal insight from the locker room
Federer may just be the first to know exactly when the Spaniard calls it a day, with the Swiss icon having informed Nadal of his decision to retire 10 days before announcing it to the world.
The two tennis legends know each other very well, with Federer now sharing what he saw the Spanish ace do in the locker room before matches.
“Everyone is very different,” Federer told BBC Breakfast. “For some, it’s their only way of playing by showing that grit.
“For me, I needed the balance. I could not go through a career with Rafa’s intensity. He’s running around the locker room getting intense. I was looking at him thinking: ‘Jeez, I’d be tired before getting on court.’
“We both can’t do it the other way and that’s why there’s so much mutual respect between athletes and players. Me, Rafa, Novak [Djokovic] or Andy [Murray], we do it all our own way and all roads lead to success.
“It’s tricky sometimes and there’s definitely moments when you don’t like a certain opponent, but then you like him so much.
“It’s important to remember this as a player – it is just tennis and at the end, we can be normal.”
What is in store for the men’s stars at Wimbledon?
As Federer alluded to, Nadal wasn’t the only man involved in the rivalry over the years, with Djokovic and Murray also on the scene.
The Serbian is, of course, leading the way in terms of Grand Slams with 24, two ahead of Nadal and four ahead of Federer.
Murray meanwhile has three to his name, a tally that would have undoubtedly been much, much bigger had Federer, Nadal and Djokovic not been on the scene at the same time.
Wimbledon represents the next opportunity for many of the current stars to add to their major honours list, but it could be a real anti-climax in London next month.
Nadal has already confirmed he won’t take part due to wanting to focus on the Olympics, while both Djokovic and Murray have had severe injury issues lately.
Along with the iconic trophy, a record total prize pool of £50million is available at this year’s tournament, up from £44.7m in 2023.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
