“An important part” of Nadal’s life left the professional tennis tour on Friday as Federer played his final career match alongside the world No 3 in the doubles at the Laver Cup. Both men were then in tears as Federer’s retirement finally became a reality, with Nadal paying a touching tribute to his long-time friend and rival immediately after the match.
The Spaniard came to the Laver Cup purely to give Federer the farewell he deserved, withdrawing from the singles and leaving London on Saturday to return home amid personal issues. And in the days since the Swiss star’s farewell, Nadal has now shared more memories from their 18-year rivalry, including the unique memento he took from one of their early battles.
Federer ended Nadal’s record 81-match winning streak on the clay at the final of the Hamburg Masters back in 2007 – a streak that spanned back to the 2005 Monte Carlo Masters, before the 36-year-old had won his first Grand Slam title at the French Open. And Nadal has now revealed that he asked the 20-time Major winner for his shirt as a token to remember the end of his record run on the clay.
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Nadal was also asked about his nickname for the 103-time title holder, with previous rumours that he called Federer ‘Rogelio’, and the Spaniard said he “sometimes” used the nickname in “small groups”. It comes after the duo opened up on their personal relationship away from the tennis court following Federer’s final match.
“In the family life, personal life, probably we approach life not in a very different way,” Nadal said after their 4-6 7-6(2) 11-9 defeat. “So that’s why we can trust each other, we can speak very often, and we’re able to speak very feeling free, feeling confident.”
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