Published 02/09/2023, 8:39 AM EST
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two of the greatest names in the tennis world today. These two, along with Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, form the big three. Three of them have 20+ Grand Slam titles each to their name and have a huge fan following. Even after being arch-rivals, the three share a deep bond of friendship.
Especially Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have different levels of bromance. While the display of their love and mutual respect was on display at Federer’s farewell, there’s one more match that fans can’t forget.
Fans react to the three-year anniversary of the epic Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal exhibition match
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played a friendly match for the Match of Africa initiative of the Roger Federer foundation. The match held at Cape Town, South Africa, saw over 50000 attendants and is among the most memorable matches played by the modern greats.
It has been three years since that historic match, and fans can’t stop talking about it. Recently, the Rafael Nadal academy posted a picture of the racket that Federer gifted Nadal after that match. Here’s how fans reacted to it.
Both Nadal and Federer are individual greats in tennis. However, the two get the combined admiration of fans as well. In his last tennis appearance at the Laver Cup, the 20-time Grand Slam champion chose Nadal to pair up with for a doubles match. After the match, in a heart-touching moment, the legendary duo broke into tears. In fact, Nadal was the first person Federer dialed up after making up his mind for retirement.
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While Federer’s emotions were pretty normal for a legend playing his last professional match, Nadal’s emotions for his friend were equally priceless. We often see fans debating over the greatness of these players. However, both Federer and Nadal showed great character and sportsmanship throughout their career and built a brilliant relationship.
WATCH THIS STORY: Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer.
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The bromance between these two never came in the way of their professional hunger for victory. Whenever we watch a Federer vs Nadal match, it always promised action and nail biting finishes. The way Federer and Nadal managed their on-court rivalry and off-court friendship is a brilliant example for the upcoming stars to follow.
What do you think of the Nadal-Federer off-court rivalry?