Swiss legend pays tribute to the 14-time Paris champion
© Christophe Saidi/FFTGreat rivals and even better friends, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal share a unique relationship that is rarely seen at the elite level in professional sport.
They sat side by side in tears during Federer's farewell ceremony at the Laver Cup in London last year and have given us countless memorable moments over the years that forced us to re-examine the concept of rivalry and friendship in tennis.
During a Q&A session Federer held on Twitter on Tuesday night, the Swiss 20-time Grand Slam champion was asked if he will miss seeing Nadal at this year's Roland-Garros.
"Yes I will miss seeing him play. French Open + @RafaelNadal = one of the most incredible records in history of all sports," responded Federer.
Another Nadal fan said he was "sad" and asked Federer to offer some words of consolation in the wake of the Mallorcan's announcement he would be taking time away from the sport to recover from his psoas injury.
"I'm with you," replied Federer. "But I'm happy for him that he's giving himself the necessary time so that he can come back healthy and make a few more magical runs."
Federer and Nadal squared off 40 times on tour, with Nadal leading their head-to-head 24-16 overall and 6-0 at Roland-Garros.
Does Federer miss playing Nadal? "Yes and no," he responded on Twitter, along with a wink emoji.
The 41-year-old then poked fun at his 6–1, 6–3, 6–0 defeat to Nadal in the Roland-Garros final in 2008, citing that match as his favourite match against the 22-time major champion.
"RG 2008. Those 4 games were awesome," joked Federer.
ROLAND-GARROS
19 May - 8 June 2025
