Uncle Toni's glowing tribute to Federer and Nadal as societal leaders

Toni Nadal has once again heaped praise on Switzerland’s Roger Federer and his nephew Rafae Nadal as two players who transcended sports and became leaders in the society. Both players are regarded as two of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category in the Open era, having won 20 and 22 Grand Slam titles, respectively.

Federer retired from the sport in September 2022 after struggling with fitness concerns towards the latter stages of his career. On the other hand, Nadal, on Thursday, announced his retirement from professional sport, largely because of fitness concerns. Toni, who is the uncle of Nadal, has heaped praise on his own nephew and Federer, who, according to him, has transcended sports and became leaders in the society through their actions.

“There are athletes who, due to their exceptional abilities, have become leaders in their disciplines,” he said. “Others who have magnified and even transcended their own sports, and only a few who, through their attitude and actions, have moved beyond the realm of sports to become leaders in society. I believe, without fear of being mistaken and fully prepared to accept any criticisms that may come my way as his uncle, that my nephew, like his greatest rival for many years, Roger Federer, belongs to the latter category.”

Federer finished his career with 20 major titles. He was the first player ever in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category to win more than 15 major titles. He then went on to become the first player in the men’s singles category in the Open era to win 20 or more major titles. On the other hand, Nadal finished his career with 22 major titles, just two behind Serbia’s Novak Djokovic. Fourteen of his 22 titles came at the Roland Garros, which is why he is also known as the ‘King of Clay’.