ESPNtennis.com Aug 4, 2023, 8:13 p.m. Read: 2 min.
On stage again. Roger Federer, who once again said that he was present but not on a tennis court, was in New York at the presentation of his first fashion collection. The Swiss said that he liked how his retirement was and, in addition, he gave details of how his relationship with Rafael Nadal was forged and evolved.
Federer and Nadal forged a great relationship during their sports careers.Getty Images
Retired a year ago from the circuit, at the Laver Cup in London, Federer is about to turn 42 years old. Owner of 20 Grand Slams and with various records and feats, the Helvetian explained how he lived the union he has with the Spaniard, who achieved 22 Majors and aspires to be able to return in 2024, to play some tournaments and also leave professional activity.
“When I was on the circuit, I saw how a young Rafa, a junior, appeared. He was very good from a very young age, and he was someone incredibly respectful, but at the same time quite shy. He had a lot of respect for my figure, which is not that now I have stopped having it (laughs), but I suppose we are in another type of relationship, much more friendly. At that time, he supported my ideas about the circuit and everything I wanted to do in the circuit, he told me that I was in the right thing,” he said.
And he continued with his explanation in an interview: “Later, I saw how Rafa made his personality grow. He had more and more confidence, he had his own ideas and, in addition, we began to see each other on the pitch practically every weekend.”
“Our rivalry became intense, but it was always good and cordial. Not only did the two of us get along, but so did our teams: my parents and his parents, my coaches and their coaches, his sister and my sister… always reigned supreme. respect and cordiality around us. As we have grown older, knowing that perhaps time is short, we knew that we would not see each other as much as before, “he added.
“I had a family, that changes everything. We started talking about completely different things about life, more related to, perhaps, injuries, children (Rafa is also a father now), so the conversations changed and in the During the process, we respected the rivalry we had at all times. Perhaps we even missed the fact that we faced each other every week (laughs). Rafa is a great man, and I sincerely hope that he can come back one last time and can show to the world of tennis how good it is”, he remarked.
Undoubtedly, they forged an unprecedented relationship between two leading figures in the same sport. From archrivals to friends.
2023-08-05 00:32:43
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