Federer pays tribute to Nadal following his 13th Roland title with a Facebook post

Roger Federer paid tribute to Rafael Nadal on Facebook following his 13th Roland Garros title which he won yesterday by defeating Novak Djokovic.

Roger Federer has always carried himself gracefully both on the court and off the court so his Facebook post about Nadal and his Roland Garros victory is not a surprise. Federer and Nadal have always enjoyed a friendly relationship which grew to friendship over the years as well as a strong rivalry. As Federer said in the post he always respected Nadal as a person and a champion and as a rival who pushed him to become even better.

His full post reads:

"I have always had the utmost respect for my friend Rafa as a person and as a champion. As my greatest rival over many years, I believe we have pushed each other to become better players. Therefore, it is a true honour for me to congratulate him on his 20th Grand Slam victory. It is especially amazing that he has now won Roland Garros an incredible 13 times, which is one of the greatest achievements in sport. I also congratulate his team, because nobody can do this alone. I hope 20 is just another step on the continuing journey for both of us. Well done, Rafa. You deserve it."

A touching message by Roger for his friend and rival following his deserved victory at the Roland Garros by defeating Novak Djokovic. Nadal tied Roger for the most Grand Slam titles in history and there was no bitterness in his message or tone of the message. Roger genuinely appreciates Nadal and his greatness as a many proper tennis fan does.

Once again, congrats to Rafa on his record-setting 13th Roland Garros title.