The tennis world has been stunned by the announcement Roger Federer has made about his retirement. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, widely regarded as one of the greatest exponents of the game, will hang up his tennis boots after the 2022 Laver Cup in London from September 23 to 25. The Swiss great will continue playing, “but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour”, read the statement he posted on social media. 

Federer’s life has been defined by two major rivalries- those with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. It was during Federer’s ascension to the top of the tennis world that the Spaniard arrived on the scene and took the world by storm.

First meeting

The two first met in the Miami Masters’ third round in 2004 in a match that Nadal would win. Nadal was only 17 then and ranked 34 in the world. It raised many eyebrows when he defeated the world no. 1 and reigning Wimbledon champion in straight sets.

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G.O.A.T. status

Rafa and Roger ruled the tennis world in the 2010s. They competed against each other in every final of the Wimbledon and French Open from 2006 to 2008. Their fierce clashes in the 2006, ’07, and ’08 Wimbledon singles’ finals gave the world some of the most iconic grass-court battles, etching their status as the game’s two greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.) figures.

The greatest match

The 2008 Wimbledon final was a watershed moment in 21st century tennis. Nadal came into the match after suffering two consecutive Wimbledon final defeats at the hands of Federer. He defied all odds and went on to defeat the defending champion after a gruelling 4 hours-48 minutes clash.

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Stats galore

Federer and Nadal have competed in 40 matches throughout their careers, with the Spaniard leading 24-16 in terms of wins. They have met on a Grand Slam final on nine different occasions, which is a record matched only by the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry. From 2005 to 2010, Nadal and Federer shared the top two ranks on the ATP Tour. The duo achieved the feat on seven different seasons.

Nadal won all of his first six Grand Slam titles by defeating Federer in the final, leading the GS final tally 6-3. The two of them have also won the Channel Slam (both Wimbledon and French Open victories in the same year) in 2008 (Nadal), ’09 (Federer), and ’10 (Nadal). 

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Federer’s 65-match unbeaten streak on the grass court and 56-match unbeaten streak on the hard court were both broken by Nadal. On the other hand, the Swiss great broke Nadal’s 81-match undefeated streak on the clay court.