A rivalry for the ages that blossomed into a friendship: How Roger Federer's career intertwined with Rafael Nadal's during its most significant moments

March 28, 2004, Miami Open; Roger Federer takes on Rafael Nadal.

Unheeding, the world tuned in to watch what was expected to be a routine victory for the freshly crowned World No. 1 at the time, Roger Federer. The young 22-year-old entered the court to face an even younger opponent – 17-year-old Rafael Nadal. This was the first time he would come face-to-face with the fierce teenager and see for himself what the hubbub surrounding the World No. 34 was all about.

In a match that would go down in history as the dawn of one of the greatest sporting rivalries to ever be, the 34th ranked Rafael Nadal mercilessly vanquished the No. 1 ranked Federer in a straight-sets victory, 6-3, 6-3. The humbled top seed, however, remained unsurprised by the defeat.

“I'm not surprised. That's what youngsters do. I've heard a lot about him and saw some matches of his. I think this is not a big surprise for everybody,” Federer had said.

Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry and friendship

Nadal entered the Grand Slam scene at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, the same tournament that marked Roger Federer’s first Grand Slam title win. He was a little late to the party, but that did not stop him from swinging for the fences.

The following years would see the pair leave it all on the court and create an unmatched atmosphere of vigor, resilience and finesse.

To Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer was the one to beat. The Swiss World No. 1 was immovable from the ranking charts for a staggering four years; he was the ultimate goal. To Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal was the sedulous hurdle that only made him stronger.

With the Spaniard looking pretty mighty on clay, Roger Federer knew he had to summon his best tennis on the rest of the surfaces, and he did just that. The Swiss rapidly increased his Grand Slam count, staying resolute on the other two surfaces.

Wimbledon was one event Roger Federer had a firm hold over. He remained unbeaten against Nadal in two back-to-back finals at the SW19 in 2006 and 2007. Then came the 2008 Wimbledon final. Just weeks prior, Rafael Nadal had brutally defeated the then 12-time Grand Champion in the French Open final.

Remembered as the greatest tennis match ever played, the rivals painted Centre Court at SW19 with spectacular scenes and produced a match of the highest quality. 22-year-old Rafael Nadal conquered the five-time defending champion on his territorial grounds in five sets, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7, that lasted nearly five hours to hand him one of the bitterest losses of his career.

"Probably my hardest loss, by far. I mean, it's not much harder than this right now. Rafa keeps you thinking, and that's what the best players do to each other in the end. That's what we both do to each other," Federer had said.

The pair’s respect for each other flourished with every meeting. Rather than pulling each other down, they were pushing each other up. They extended their bond beyond the courts and began supporting each other in their various endeavors. Although their mannerisms on the court were a stark contrast – a poised, graceful Federer against a feisty, relentless Nadal; their off-court persona maintained an analogous humility. The “Fedal” rivalry became the epitome of goodwill.

The “Fedal” rivalry became the epitome of goodwill

The later years saw Roger Federer dominate over Rafael Nadal. The Swiss maestro, who faced a four-year Grand Slam drought between 2012 and 2016, registered his sweetest Grand Slam victory against the Spaniard at the 2017 Australian Open, settling the score-line in five sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

“Tennis is a tough sport. There’s no draws, but if there was going to be one, I’d be very happy to accept the draw tonight and share it with you Rafa, really,” Federer said following the victory.

Their 40th and final meeting came at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, a fixture that went the way of the Swiss legend, permanently settling their head-to-head at 24-16 in favor of the Spaniard.

Roger Federer's appearances were dwindling and the Spaniard racked up more Slam titles to close the gap with his great rival. In October 2020, the now 22-time Major winner claimed his 20th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, thus equalling the record set by Federer at the 2018 Australian Open.

“I have always had the utmost respect for my friend Rafa as a person and as a champion. As my greatest rival over many years, I believe we have pushed each other to become better players,” Roger Federer said, congratulating Nadal.

Despite tough competition from the other legends of the sport such as Novak Djokovic, the “Fedal” rivalry has certainly stood the test of time. The duo last joined hands in 2020 as they ushered in a record-breaking crowd of 51,954 for their exhibition event in South Africa.

With a rivalry of such significance coming to a close on Friday as Roger Federer pairs up alongside Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup for one last time in his career, one can’t help but wonder, “What now?”

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