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"He's like a tiger in a cage" says Roger Federer on personality of career rival Rafael Nadal, lauds 'incredible intensity'
ATPMonday, 16 October 2023 at 22:30
Roger
Federer spoke about the personality of his great rival, Rafael Nadal, and
compared him to a "tiger in a cage" on the tennis court.
The
Federer-Nadal rivalry is one of the most epic in the history of tennis, and for
many, it's the most important in the sport. These two players shared the elite ranks
of the tennis world for over 15 years and faced each other 40 times, providing
fans with memorable battles that resulted in a record of 24-16 in favor of
Nadal.
Federer
participated in the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, where he discussed his
experiences as a friend and rival of the 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael
Nadal. He also pointed out similarities in their personalities:
"I
don’t know Rafa [Nadal] enough off-site, but he’s like a tiger in the cage
whenever I see him at the courts and I feel I’m very relaxed on and off-site.
He has incredible intensity, he’s always warming up, he’s always going around
and there’s always much stuff to do for him and he’s preparing and you can feel
like there’s always a match on his mind," he said.
"I
don’t know if we’re so opposite you know. But yeah, I guess, to some extent,
I’m may be more calm more relaxed whereas he goes, especially through the
tennis days in a more intense way when he’s on-site," the 42-year-old
added.
The Swiss
tennis legend also emphasized the importance of athletes being able to mentally
disconnect and rest during periods of inactivity on the ATP Tour to maintain a
long and successful career.
"I’m
sure that when it’s all over, every player finds a way to unwind because if you
don’t, you can’t exist on the tour for as long as it lasts. It’s a tough tour
and you have got to find ways to relax," 20-times Grand Slam champion
added.
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