Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer share a special relationship. The King of Clay and the Swiss sensation have been battling on all sorts of courts and tournaments for a couple of decades, giving us fantastic memories.
The wonderful trait of their relationship is that they appreciate each other’s efforts and results so as not to make their rivalry a bitter one. Instead, if you love tennis, you just appreciate their outstanding achievements.
Rafael Nadal’s French Open record
Rafa has once again achieved the impossible after winning his 13th Roland Garros with an impossible 100-2 win/loss record at his favorite slam. After Nadal’s recent triumph, Roger Federer took the social media immediately to celebrate his rival and friend, posting a truly lovely message as follows:
“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 honor 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.”
Roger also directed his congratulations to Nadal’s team. The Swiss legend is very well aware of the fact that to achieve these kinds of results, you need to have great people around.
“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,” he added.
Rafael Nadal in 2020
Ranked no.2, Nadal played his last match on the 11th of October when he beat Novak Djokovic 6-0 6-2 7-5 in the final of the French Open to win his 86th career title.
Presently, this year the Spaniard has a 22-4 win-loss record. The Spaniard clinched 2 titles in 2020 in Acapulco and at the French Open.
Roger Federer in 2020
Now the world no.4, the Swiss played his last match on the 30th of January when he lost to Novak Djokovic 7-61 6-4 6-3 in the semifinal of the Australian Open.
Roger Federer’s most significant performance of the current year was getting to the semi-finals at the Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer played each other 40 times. The head to head is 24-16 for Nadal. The last time that they played, Rafael Nadal won 7-64 6-3 6-3 in the semifinal in Melbourne (Australian Open) in January 2014.