5 players who are close friends with Roger Federer ft. Martina Hingis and Rafael Nadal 

Roger Federer is not only admired and loved for being one of the best tennis players in the world, but is also looked up to for his on-court and off-court demeanour.

Through 20 Grand Slam titles, including a record eight Wimbledon titles, Federer has earned a fandom that goes beyond tennis and continues to thrive despite him having bid adieu to the sport in 2022.

In his career spanning over two decades, Federer not only met his wife during his time on tour but also made a number of friends, a list that includes people who were in fact referred to as his arch-rivals. In continuation to the same, here are five tennis players who are regarded as close friends of the Swiss.

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#5 Juan Martin Del Potro

Roger Federer faced Argentinian tennis star Juan Martin Del Potro 24 times and managed to get the better of him on 18 occasions. Additionally, Del Potro earned his only major title by defeating the Swiss at the 2009 US Open.

The two are not just celebrated rivals but also great friends on court as exemplified by the moments shared by them at the Miami Grand Prix last year. They hugged each other and exchanged nice words, including updates about their lives.

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#4 Belinda Bencic

Roger Federer has a great friendship with compatriot and fellow tennis player Belinda Bencic. The former World No. 4 views the tennis legend as a mentor who not only guides but also checks up on her after matches and practice sessions.

Federer teamed up with Bencic multiple times at the Hopman Cup and their team emerged victorious in 2018 and 2019. Additionally, referring to a wrist injury she had been recovering from since 2017 Bencic shared after the Indian Wells event in 2019 how the 20-time Grand Slam champion regularly checked up on her.

Speaking about the same, she said (via Tennis Now):

"Yeah, definitely he was always checking up if I was doing better. Even last year when I got injured in Miami, I ask him, you know, and his physio took a look at me. And actually, you know, he tried to help me with, you know, getting the right people for my injury because, I mean, he's a pro at everything. Definitely he gives me advice.

She added, "So I was really happy he was checking on."

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#3 Stan Wawrinka

Roger Federer (left) and Stan Wawrinka (Image via Getty)

Another compatriot and fellow tennis player with whom Federer shares a special bond is former World No.3 Stan Wawrinka, who not only views the Swiss as a former doubles partner and a tennis player to look up to, but also a great friend.

Federer and Wawrinka represented Switzerland multiple times at the Davis Cup and also earned an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Wawrinka joined the international tennis arena four years after Federer and spoke about his bond with the tennis legend:

"Roger represents so many things. He’s a good friend. He was like a big brother in tennis, I learned from him. I had many hard defeats against him. We had many great victories together. Therefore, it’s a very important part of my career. I’m grateful for that."

Additionally, the 39-year-old also talked about how he got emotional on hearing about Federer's decision to retire in 2022 and shared how he cried for the Swiss:

"I cried for Roger (Federer). It was hard, a strong feeling. Even talking about it is difficult. When I came on the tour, he was already there. He was like a big brother to me, a friend."

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#2 Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal (left) and Roger Federer at the 2022 Laver Cup 2022 (Image via Getty)

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal represent one of the most followed and loved rivalries in the world of tennis and their off-court friendship only adds to that.

The two faced each other 40 times with Nadal having a 24-16 lead. But in addition to producing some of the most iconic matches in the Open Era, the tennis legends gave a range of memorable moments to tennis fans. This includes the 2022 Laver Cup - Federer's last on-court appearance where he teamed up with his long-term rival.

The Spaniard crying his heart out while holding Federer's hand represents one of the most endearing moments in tennis history. Additionally, the two also starred together in a Louis Vuitton campaign and spoke about their friendship.

Nadal said (via GQ):

"I have always said that Roger has inspired millions of people around the world, me included. I believe that our rivalry has definitely raised the bar in sports in terms of healthy rivalry and how athletes can try their best on the court, to the maximum, definitely wanting to win by all means but with a huge respect for the rival. The rivalry stayed always on court and we knew it had always to be like that.”

Federer further said:

"On the court we have challenged each other to evolve, improve and reach heights we never would have managed without the rivalry. Off the court our relationship has grown from fierce intense competitors to a lifelong friendship driven by our genuine personalities and shared values.”

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#1 Martina Hingis

Martina Hingis (left) and Roger Federer (Image via Getty)

Roger Federer's career started soon after compatriot Martina Hingis's, and both went on to do exceptionally well in their respective categories. Both have a range of Grand Slam titles to their names and held the World No.1 ranking multiple times.

Hingis won Grand Slams as a teenager and those victories made her one of the youngest tennis players to achieve the feat. Therefore, Federer often shared that after bringing laurels for her country, Hingis paved the way for him to become a celebrated tennis player. He said (via Tennis Now):

"Tennis was coming up [in Switzerland]," Federer said. "Thankfully, we had an Olympic champion in Marc Rosset in 1992. And then we had Martina Hingis, who also won the US Open and Wimbledon. And they paved the way for me a little bit to show me that it was possible."

The duo also led the Swiss team to victory at the 2001 Hopman Cup wherein Hingis jokingly claimed that she taught the 20-time Grand Slam champion how to win titles.

"You could always see the talent. I tell him I was the one who taught him how to win titles. Before that he played a few finals but didn't win anything. Hopman Cup was his first big title and he has won a few after that."

After an illustrious career, Hingis said goodbye to tennis in 2017 and Federer was one of the many players who heaped praise on her. He said (via The Scroll):

“Martina was partially the one who showed me how it was all done. It was great for Switzerland to have someone of her calibre. We were very lucky. I loved playing with her at the Hopman Cup, she was always super friendly, I love that about her."

“I’m not sad to see her retire, she’s been in the game for long enough, she seems at peace with her decision – that’s wonderful. I’ve always been a fan of her and I always will be.”

The two were also bound to team up for the 2016 Rio Olympics but the latter's dream of the same could not come through as he was forced to withdraw from the event due to an injury.