Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will always be remembered for having had one of the greatest sporting rivalries of our time.
But they will also be remembered for having had one of the greatest friendships.
And now, Federer has revealed that a picture of himself and Nadal crying together at his final tennis match holds pride of place in his home.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner retired from professional tennis in September 2022 at the Laver Cup where he played a final doubles match alongside Nadal. They lost out to Team World’s Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
It proved to be an emotional affair all around, with an image of Federer and Nadal, hands clasped and both teary-eyed, rising to global prominence following the former’s retirement.
And now, the Swiss has revealed that the photograph holds special significance for him too.
Indeed, it is a picture that he has framed in his house.
“When I pass by it, it always catches my attention,” he told Spanish media outlet El Pais. “Because it reflects our camaraderie, rivalry, and friendship in one single image.”
When asked what just what the photo meant to him, Federer explained that it was hard to sum it up.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Maybe I should ask Rafa that, but it’s probably more important to me than to him. I have it at home, framed, in a space where I have several images of my career. I don’t want photos everywhere, that’s why I have them in a specific area.
“And when I pass by it, it always catches my attention because it reflects our camaraderie, our friendship and also the rivalry, all in one single image.
“In that instant Ellie Goulding was singing and it’s a moment in which we are both able to reflect on all we just experienced, remembering our career and how lucky we have been to be tennis players, to have been able to turn our hobby into a dream job.
“That’s what this photo stands for to me. It was a great moment, short; take his hand for a second and, basically, show him my gratitude through that touch.”
It was a moment which evidently meant a lot to the Spaniard too.
At the time of Federer’s retirement, Nadal reflected to Reuters on how his friend and rival had influenced his career.
“When Roger leaves the tour, yeah, an important part of my life is leaving too because all the moments he has been next or in front me in important moments of my life,” Nadal told Reuters, per CNN.
“So it has been emotional (to) see the family, see all the people. Yeah, difficult to describe. But, yeah, amazing moment.”
22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal recently announced that he will miss this summer’s Wimbledon tournament to focus on preparing for what he has called his ‘last Olympics’ in Paris – an indication that he too is nearing the end of his career.
When he eventually does join his friend in hanging up his tennis racquet, it will be a great loss for the sport indeed.
But as Federer himself stated, the pair’s rivalry, camaraderie and friendship will long serve as a great example for many sportsmen and sportswomen to come.