Rafael Nadal congratulates Roger Federer on becoming the oldest World No.1 

What's the story?

Rafael Nadal has praised his arch-nemesis, Roger Federer, for proving his greatness in the sport once again.

On Monday, when the latest rankings will be released, Federer will overtake Nadal to become oldest World No. 1 in history. Nadal has taken this opportunity to congratulate the Swiss maestro, with whom he has shared, arguably, the greatest tennis rivalry of all time.

"Roger Federer has amply demonstrated what it is and did not need to return to No 1 to prove it,” Nadal told Spanish radio station Carrusel.

“At his age, he has achieved something very complicated and we must congratulate him.”

In case you didn't know...

Roger Federer has been enjoying a stellar thirteen months ever since returning from injury. After, such an amazing run, the opportunity to be the World No.1 again presented itself to Federer at the ongoing Rotterdam Open.

The scenario was such that Federer would reach the pinnacle of the rankings if he beat Robin Haase in the quarter-finals of the tournament. Well, needless to say, the living legend happily obliged, thus dethroning Nadal and claiming the top spot.

The heart of the matter

The Federer-Nadal rivalry has always been one of the best-ever encounters in the history of the sport. Since that first meeting between the two in the Miami Open, way back in 2004, we have been very fortunate to see these two great advocates of the sport go up against each other, giving us incredible scenes every single time.

Everyone knows of the camaraderie shared by the two, without ever letting the pressure of competition come in the way of their friendship. Their relationship has never ceased to amaze people.

Even last week, on being informed that Nadal was in the Netherlands, Federer had invited the Spaniard to come visit him. Hence, it was not at all surprising when Nadal very heartily congratulated Federer, even though it was him who Federer overtook to become the World No.1.

What's next?

Basically, now it is all up to Federer. He has to continue playing well so that he can defend his spot at the top of the rankings. The form that the 36-year-old is in, it is likely that this year, we might get to see that impossible dominance over the sport.

It will be good times for tennis, as everyone will have to raise their games to even trouble him and the fans will get to watch some memorable matches.

Author's take

It's mind-boggling to see what this man has achieved all through his professional career. He reached the pinnacle, dominated the sport and then, he was completely written off by the pundits.

However, he persevered and reclaimed his throne, rewriting the record books in the process. Even if he retired tomorrow, his name will definitely go down as one of the greatest legends ever to swing a tennis racket. There will come a time, unfortunately, when both him and Nadal will no longer be there. But in the meantime, we can always be sure that they will always give their all and leave us with even more everlasting memories.