“You were a little bit arrogant” – Rafael Nadal hilariously teases Roger Federer while recalling their first interaction

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal reunited for the Louis Vuitton Core Values campaign. The two went trekking through the white mountains of Italy's Dolomites for the photoshoot administered by Annie Leibovitz.

Federer and Nadal were part of one of the most captivating rivalries in tennis history. The Swiss Maestro turned professional in 1998 three years before the Spaniard did.

The two first met on the court in a Round-of-32 clash at the 2004 Miami Open where the Spaniard clinched a 6-3, 6-3 win. They then met again at Miami Gardens in the 2005 final the following year, with Federer securing a 2-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-1 victory to open his account in the head-to-head.

The former World No. 1s went on to play 38 more matches against each other till 2019 with the Spaniard ending as the undisputed head-to-head leader with an advantage of 24-16.

As their on-court rivalry grew at pace, the two developed an off-court bond off the court endearing enough that culminated in Federer picking the 22-time Grand Slam champion as his doubles partner for his farewell match at the 2022 Laver Cup.

Their camaraderie was on display once again as they sat for a candid conversation on air while working on the Louis Vuitton Core Values campaign. While chatting, Nadal recalled their first meeting of which the Swiss has no memory.

According to the Spaniard, it happened after Federer was crowned the Wimbledon champion in 2003. The 20-time Grand Slam champion asked if he behaved appropriately during the interaction which prompted the other one to have a little fun and jokingly say that the Swiss showed arrogance.

Their conversation is written below:

"I do remember, probably not him," said the Nadal.

"I don’t," the Swiss confirmed.

"When you won your first Wimbledon, which year," the 37-year-old wondered.

"2003... Was I nice to you or...," the 20-time Grand Slam champion asked.

"You were a little bit arrogant," Nadal said before the two cracked up.

"No honestly, you were super nice. I was just arriving on the tour, and a junior, so I was super shy to talk to you. But you were very nice," he added.

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"Nobody more than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal represents this extreme, ferocious competition that becomes friendship" - Louis Vuitton CEO Pietro Beccari

A photo from 2022 Laver Cup 2022

In an exclusive interview with the Financial Times, Louis Vuitton's chief executive officer (CEO) Pietro Beccari commented on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's rivalry-turned-friendship.

"They are good friends and see each other privately. It was a rivalry that became a friendship. They are proud of it and I think they set an incredible example," Beccari said.

Beccari further suggested the two tennis icons have perfectly defined sport that is essentially about conflict and camaraderie.

"I think nobody more than them represents this extreme, ferocious competition that becomes friendship, which is exactly what sports should be," he added.

Rafael Nadal recently competed at the Italian Open and reached the second round before losing 6-1, 6-3 to eventual quarterfinalist Hubert Hurkacz.