Roger Federer’s rivalry with Rafael Nadal was one of the greatest the game has ever seen.
The two legends clashed 40 times on the ATP Tour, with the Spaniard finishing his career leading the head-to-head 24-16.
Though Federer enjoyed a string of wins over Nadal later on, in the early stages of their rivalry, the latter came out on top more often than not, particularly on clay.
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Their first five bouts on the dirt all went the way of Nadal, one of which was the 2006 Roland Garros final.
In 2007, however, Federer finally got one over the ‘King of Clay’ on his preferred surface at the Hamburg Open.
What Rafael Nadal said after losing to Roger Federer in 2007
Federer came back from a set down in the final of the then-Masters tournament to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.
As per BBC, after the match, Nadal said: “Maybe I was not the same like always mentally. I feel a little tired mentally, but physically, I was OK.
“I have had a lot of matches, and it’s difficult, but I am very happy to have played Hamburg. I made more mistakes than usual – I played very short, and he feels the ball well.
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“But I came here and played some of my best tennis (during the week), and I can’t be sad that I lose one match to the world’s best player.
“I will go to the French Open just as confident,” concluded Nadal, who at that point was already a two-time Roland Garros champion.
Roger Federer’s reaction to beating Rafael Nadal on clay in 2007
While it was disappointment for Nadal, it was jubilation for Federer, who had really struggled against Nadal on clay up until then.
“It’s absolutely a breakthrough,” said Federer after the victory. “It will be interesting to see how we both react in the French Open.
“For me it’s just nice to be playing well again. I’m feeling very good going into the French Open.
“It’s not that I was playing so badly, but it’s my first clay-court title in a couple of years, so that’s great.”
Federer met Nadal in the Roland Garros final again later that season, but lost for the second year in a row.
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