Rafael Nadal can’t forget Roger Federer: It kills me to know
Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal, the world number 2 in men’s singles, said a big part of him was broken by the retirement of his arch-rival, Swiss Roger Federer.
Speaking to the press ahead of a special tournament he attended in Argentina, the 36-year-old said he could not forget Federer, who retired in September.
“You share a lot of experiences with your teammates and opponents, and some of them are very important.” Nadal said: “Everyone has feelings and we live in this sport. Having a competitor like Federer is lucky. When I started with tennis, Roger was already on the courts. It is true that I played more matches against Novak Djokovic than against Roger, but for me this sport started with Federer. he used his statements.
“KNOWING THIS MAKES ME DEATH”
Emphasizing that he always enjoyed the everlasting rivalry between them, Nadal said: “Despite our conflicting playing styles and characters, we somehow formed a close relationship and shared a lot. I have always had great admiration for my opponent. We had great memories both on and off the pitch. Before going to the Grand Slam games with Federer, all the rush of emotions he felt was mixed in the air, and these games were always very different. It pains me to know that I will never experience this again. With the decision to retire, a large part has been taken from me. It was very difficult for me to say goodbye to such an important name for this sport.” he performed the assessment of it.
The matches played between the two tennis players in the last 20 years became one of the greatest rivalries in tennis history. Of the 40 matches between the two, Nadal won 24 and Federer 16.
Federer said goodbye to tennis with the Laver Cup held at the 20,000-seat O2 Arena in London, the capital of England. The Swiss athlete shared the track with Nadal in doubles in his last match and lost to his rivals Jack Sock-Frances Tiafoe. After the match, both tennis players lived emotional moments and could not hold back their tears for a long time.
(AA)