If anybody doubted the sincerity of Roger Federer's and Rafael Nadal's friendship, they could have seen it in full effect at last year's Laver Cup.
The 2022 Laver Cup will forever be remembered as the last tennis event Roger Federer officially played. It was basically a chance for the Swiss ace to say goodbye to tennis. It was in London, a city that has given him many tennis joys over the years, so it seemed fitting.
He shared the court one final time with his long-time rival and friend Rafael Nadal as they lost to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in a doubles match on day one of the event. Federer was quite emotional at the event, unable to fight off the tears.
There was another person who was even more emotional than Federer, and it was Rafael Nadal who was crying his eyes out during the ceremony that was marking Federer's career achievements. It was a beautiful demonstration of how close and strong their bond became after years of battling each other on the court.
Federer's former coach Ivan Ljubicic faced both on the court, and he remembers some of those battles quite well. Speaking in a recent interview, the Croatian shared the extent of the friendship between Roger and Rafael Nadal.
At first, they only had respect for each other. Over time, they realized that they had shared many special moments. If Rafa called Roger tomorrow for something, he would do it right away. And vice versa.
It's a beautiful thing and rather rare in the sports world. While many athletes shared great rivalries it's very rare that it actually blossoms into a full-fledged friendship as they have. It also speaks to the types of persons they are and the respect they have for each other.
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