"There will be times when he will make you feel very inferior. Keep fighting and wait for the storm to pass”. - Toni Nadal on advice given to Nadal when playing Federer

The legendary career of the Swiss Maestro, Roger Federer, is coming to a conclusion, and Toni Nadal also reflected on it in a column he wrote for El Pais.

Roger Federer won every Grand Slam trophy between 2004 and 2007 with the exception of the Roland Garros trophy. From 2005 through 2008, Rafael Nadal was the winner in Paris and, during his remarkable Grand Slam run, he prevented the Swiss Maestro from completing the Calendar Slam three times in a row.

He also touched what he told Rafael Nadal when facing Federer:

"In Rafael's early years ontour, in 2006 or 2007, I remember repeatedly telling him before stepping onto the court in his matches against him: “There will be times when he will make you feel very inferior. Keep fighting and wait for the storm to pass”. That was the feeling that he left you in the moments inspired by him, that of total helplessness."

He further wrote:

"One day, while I was in the locker room at the Monte Carlo tournament, he came in just after finishing his match on the centre court. I suppose you will play all week with the same shirt," I said jokingly seeing how spotless it was, without a sweat stain. “No, I've got another spare”, he answered me with his kind sense of humour."