During their course on the tennis court, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal created one of the most beautiful bonds. Not only are both of these players loved for their humongous individual achievements but also for the dynamic Fedal friendship and rivalry. As much as tennis fans love to see them laughing and goofing around on the same side of the court, they equally love to watch this duo battle it out.
The Swiss Maestro and Spain’s Raging Bull might have several fundamental differences. Even amongst their style of play, Roger prefers the clay surface as Rafa claimed the grass and while Roger is a right-handed player with an elegant single-handed backhand stroke, Rafael is a lefty with a brutal double-handed backhand. After 40 face-offs, the FedEx admits that Rafa challenged him the most with his unique set of skills.
Federer playfully admits Nadal was his toughest opponent
Amongst the iconic Big Three trio, Roger and Rafael is the most admired duo. Tennis fans absolutely love to watch these two legends on the court together, especially against each other. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have played 40 matches against each other. The Spaniard leads the H2H score at 24-16!
Most recently, Roger Federer got back on the court to continue to inspire the next generation of tennis even after his retirement. He coached a couple of kids in NYC and one of them posed the question, “Who was the person you struggles against the most?”
He admitted, “I struggled against Rafa the most.”
Federer jokes about challenges against Nadal’s topspin
Furthermore, Roger’s explanation as to why Rafa gave him such a hard time was, “just because of his topspin and lefty, you know”. Even the kid that posed this question knew the advantages of a lefty and quickly agreed that she would also not like to play against one.
Roger Federer spent some time coaching young kids in New York
“Who was the person you struggled against the most?
Roger: “I struggled against Rafa the most. Yeah, just bc of his topspin and lefty, you know. Do you like playing against lefties?”
“No.”
Roger: “There you go” 😂 pic.twitter.com/HFukQbqEc7
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 1, 2023
Spain’s Raging Bull’s high-top spin stroke is something that every new kid on the tennis court wants to learn and recreate. Nadal has a forehand topspin which is quite possibly his most lethal weapon. Roger Federer’s recent comment on how he struggled against Rafael because of his topspin further affirmed how vicious this shot is.
He also talks about the fact that Rafael Nadal is a lefty which gave him a great advantage with the shots’ angles. Interestingly, Rafa is a natural right-hander. The Spaniard uses his right hand for anything that doesn’t involve tennis yet he is one of the most powerful lefties on the court. The fact that he has great control in his right hand justifies why his double-handed backhands are so deadly as well.
