Tennis

Federer and Nadal: A friendship that's developed over time as pinnacles of the sport

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:06 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Veronica Bruno/Fansided

The tennis world received a great gift for the men’s final in this year’s Australian Open. After two years of injuries and inconsistent results, the greatest rivalry in modern tennis is back in the form of titans Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

We nostalgically remember the elegant, catlike dominance Roger Federer displayed when he gracefully railed as a “Fedexpress” through his opponents without breaking a sweat on his well-groomed brow. His 2004-07 run was a marvel to witness.

We remember the time when the threat of Rafael Nadal emerged, peerlessly owned the clay courts, and became not just a threat, but the aggressive successor to Fed’s reign. Four of Rafa’s nine French Open crowns came at the expense of Federer. The Spaniard’s 2005-08 run and then again in 2010-14 at Roland Garros are what anointed him the “king of clay” and a feat that we will likely not see again.

We’ve seen the exhilarating contests that could have gone either way, like adrenaline chess matches that tested physical endurance, divine natural talent, and above all the mind.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal pose for photographs before the Men’s Singles Final on Day 13 of the 2008 Wimbledon Tennis Championship at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by ben radford/Corbis via Getty Images)

We’ve seen them collapse in triumph and each hold up one of their cumulative 31 grand slam trophies.

There have been tears of frustration. Most famous was Roger Federer’s breakdown the last time they met in an Australian Open final in 2009. Nadal was triumphant, but ended up comforting his opponent that day in the awards ceremony. Federer would come back the next year and win the tournament one more time. Nadal would come back twice, but lose to first Djokovic (2012) and then to Federer’s compatriot, Stan Wawrinka (2014).

Since 2010, Roger Federer’s great gifts have lost some of their luster. Since 2014, Rafael Nadal has been plagued by various injuries, but perhaps most shocking of all was his inability to make it to the semifinals in 2015 and the quarters in 2016 at the French Open. Neither player made it to a final of a grand slam last year and spent the last half of 2016 nursing lagging injuries — Rafa’s left wrist and Fed’s left knee surgery and recovery.

Legends are legends, however, and even during waning, inconsistent years, both players have pulled out some surprising performances, reminding all the world of the greatness that could once not be touched. The 17-time champion did this at the 2012 Wimbledon championships, defeating Andy Murray on home turf. The 14-time grand slam winner eked out another French Open title in 2014.

In the years since both former No. 1s have showed the world they are more human and perhaps have learned to play for the love of the game a bit more. Once tough rivals, they’ve also developed a lovely friendship that has endeared them even more to their fans. Both men are humble in person and exude a kind of honesty that resonates well with the public. And they both love the sport they have each dominated in their own fashion at one time or another and occasionally jointly. They also have a communal hashtag, of course: #fedal.

The only times the two tennis stars appeared together in the last year were to either support the sport they love or to champion their own causes.

Before the highly anticipated men’s final from these two esteemed and fierce competitors, I’d like to take time to reflect on some exuberant moments that show the more relaxed and fun side of their relationship:

The time they attempted to create a promotional video for the “Match for Africa,” to benefit the Roger Federation Foundation, at the height of their rivalry, in 2010, and couldn’t keep a straight face:

It’s been making the rounds again as the GIF that keeps giving:

Always fans of the game, the two of them got together with legends Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, and Rod Lever announced the formation of a new tournament that pits world regional teams against each other, with the potential of Federer and Nadal playing doubles together.

I guess the Laver Cup knew something no one else did:

When Rafael Nadal opened up his new tennis academy to serve the future generation on his home island of Majorca, he called on his friend Roger Federer to support his endeavor.

At the unveiling ceremony, the Rafa presented Federer with a memento that commemorated their best matches (this was before Sunday’s, of course), which resulted in this cute fan tweet:

Pretty much how we’ll all feel when greats Federer and Nadal step onto the Rod Lever arena court:

via GIPHY

On Sunday, one more time, the fans are eager to watch the most anticipated tennis final of all time between two players who aren’t just the pinnacle of their sport, but the pinnacle of gentlemen as well.

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