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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have one of the most intriguing and fierce rivalries in tennis owing to their distinct playing styles and personalities. In the annals of the sport’s history, both athletes will go down as the greatest players of all time.
Federer and Nadal have crossed paths a whopping forty times in their illustrious careers, engaging in a fierce battle of skills. Out of these epic encounters, twenty of them unfolded on the hard courts, while sixteen unfolded on clay. As for the remaining four, they took place on the grounds of grass.
The Spaniard has the upper hand with a score of 24-16 in their overall match history, 14-10 in finals, and a whopping 10-4 in Grand Slam tournaments.
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Out of the field, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have always admired each other and have had many remarkable off-court encounters. Over the years, these two champions have spent much time together and mentioned each other often.
On that note, here are some of the finest words the duo have ever exchanged:
#1. "Man you're getting old, stop winning" - Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal was among the many tennis players who wished Roger Federer on his 36th birthday in 2017. The Spaniard jokingly told his rival to stop winning since he was "old" and to let the younger players seal the deal.
"Hey Roger, I wish you a very very happy birthday. Man, you’re getting old. Stop winning. Leave something for the youngest, okay? Well, just have fun and I wish you all the best," he said in a video posted by Tennis Tv on X (formerly Twitter).
Federer and Nadal faced each other four times in 2017, with the former coming out on top on each occasion.
#2. "You guys have tried to kill Roger Federer often" - Rafael Nadal
A Spanish journalist asked Rafael Nadal in 2011 what he would write about Roger Federer's fall in form leading up to the US Open. The 'King of Clay' responded by claiming that the media often tried to "kill" the Swiss but he always bounced back and proved them wrong.
"No way I would be a journalist. You guys have tried to kill Roger often. But he's always come back and proved you wrong. So one thing I would not do is make the mistake of saying Roger is dead," he said.
Federer reached the semifinals of the 2011 US Open before losing to Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller.
#3. "You can't be always unhappy because your neighbor have a bigger house than you" - Rafael Nadal
Nadal won his 20th Grand Slam singles title at the 2020 French Open by defeating Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 in the final. He thus equaled Roger Federer's tally for the most number of Majors won by a male tennis player back then.
After his victory in Paris, the Spaniard commented about sharing the record with Federer in a press conference, saying it meant a lot to him.
"You can't be always unhappy because your neighbor have a bigger house than you or a bigger boat or have a better phone. You have to live your personal life, no?" he said.
"Personally, that's the things that I did during all my career, just try to follow my road, try my best every single day. In terms of these records, of course that I care. I am a big fan of the history of sport in general. I respect a lot that. For me means a lot to share this number with Roger, no?" he added.
#4. "A few months ago we were joking about both being on crutches" - Roger Federer
Roger Federer paid a heartfelt tribute to Rafael Nadal after the Spaniard won his record 21st Grand Slam title at the 2022 Australian Open by beating Daniil Medvedev in the final.
"To my friend and great rival Rafael Nadal, heartfelt congratulations on becoming the first man to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles," Federer wrote on an Instagram story.
The Swiss also stated that the Mallorcan and he were joking about both being on crutches before hailing his arch-rival's work ethic and fighting spirit.
"A few months ago, we were joking about both being on crutches. Amazing. Never underestimate a great champion. Your incredible work ethic, dedication and fighting spirit are an inspiration to me and countless others around the world," Federer said.
"I am proud to share this era with you and honoured to play a role in pushing you to achieve more - as you have done for me for the past 18 years. I am sure you have more achievements ahead but, for now, enjoy this one," he added.
#6. "An important part of my life is leaving" - Rafael Nadal on Roger Federer's retirement
Roger Federer announced his retirement from tennis last year and played his last match at the Laver Cup, partnering with Rafael Nadal in doubles. The pair faced Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock but lost with a score of 6-4, 6-7(2), 9-11.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, the Spaniard said that being a part of the Swiss' farewell was an honor for him and claimed that a part of his life was also leaving with his rival's retirement.
"For me, has been a huge honour to be a part of this amazing moment of the history of our sport, and at the same time a lot of years sharing a lot of things. When Roger leaves the tour, yeah, an important part of my life is leaving too because all the moments he has been next or in front me in important moments of my life," Nadal said.
"So has been emotional (to) see the family, see all the people. Yeah, difficult to describe. But, yeah, amazing moment," he added.
#7. "He pushed me to innovate, work harder, and to develop my game" - Roger Federer
Roger Federer did not compete at the 2018 French Open, but he was present in Paris.
The Swiss launched a limited-edition champagne called Greatness Since 1998 in collaboration with Moet & Chandon to celebrate his 20th year as a tennis professional.
He spoke to Vogue at the time and said that Rafael Nadal pushed him to develop his game:
"Playing against Rafa for so many years has been amazing - he pushed me to innovate, work harder, and to develop my game."
#8. "I would have been happy to share this trophy with Rafa" - Roger Federer
Federer and Nadal played out one of their most iconic matches at the 2017 Australian Open final, with the Swiss winning in five sets to claim his fifth title at the Melbourne Major.
Federer had a lot of kind words for Nadal during the presentation ceremony and said that while tennis did not have any draws, he would have been happy to share his Australian Open trophy with the Spaniard.
"There are no draws in tennis but I would have been happy to share this trophy with Rafa tonight," the Swiss said.
#9. "If somebody says I am better than Roger Federer, I think this person doesn’t know anything about tennis" - Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal spoke about Roger Federer during the 2010 French Open, stating that someone who thought that he was better than the 42-year-old, did not know anything about tennis.
"If somebody says I am better than Roger, I think this person doesn’t know anything about tennis. You see the titles of him any you see the titles of me? It’s no comparison. So that’s the answer. It’s difficult to compare Roger with me now, because he has 16 Grand Slams. I have six," the Southpaw told the media.
The Swiss was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2010 French Open as he lost to Robin Soderling. Meanwhile, the Spaniard won the tournament by beating Soderling in the championship match.
#10. "I struggled against Rafael Nadal the most" - Roger Federer
Earlier in 2023, Federer toured New York as part of a video segment named 24 Hours with Roger from Uniqlo. The Swiss trained with some youngsters and one of them asked him who his toughest opponent was.
Federer responded by claiming that he struggled the most against Rafael Nadal:
"I struggled against Rafa the most. Yeah, just because of his topspin and lefty, you know."
Whether it's their on-court rivalry or their endearing comments about each other throughout the years, the duo will always hold a special place in the hearts of tennis fans worldwide.
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