"I was surprised to see a tape, but I did not see any problems" - When Roger Federer spoke on Rafael Nadal limping during Shanghai Masters final
The last time Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faced each other in the final of a tournament was the 2017 Shanghai Masters, where the former ended up clinching the title.
That year, the two had gone tow-to-toe thrice already — in the Australian Open final, a Round of 16 match at Indian Wells, and the Miami Open final. The two locked horns again in the title clash in Shanghai, where Federer extended his winning streak over Nadal to four matches in the season by winning 6-4, 6-3.
The Swiss maestro had a surprisingly easy time on the court as he didn't face a single break point and ended the match as he began — with a break of serve. The win also saw him end the Spaniard's 16-match win streak, which included a title win at the China Open.
During the match, Nadal noticeably had his right knee in a bandage and could be seen limping now and then. When asked about this at a press conference later, Federer stated that while he did notice it, he felt that it did not hinder the Mallorcan's game at all.
"I didn't see any problems with him in defense, to be honest. You know, when the body goes cold after the game, it's normal to, you know, feel it, you know. I know how it is. Sometimes when you are in a car for a long time where you sit for too long or stand for too long, whatever it is for too long, it's not good for our bodies," he said.
"But in the match itself I thought he looked good. He looked fast. I didn't see any problems, to be quite honest. I was surprised to see a tape, but I didn't see any problems," he added.
When asked to address the issue in his press conference, Nadal refused to talk about it.
"No. I don't want to talk about that now, sorry, but after losing final is not the moment," he expressed.
After 2017 Shanghai Masters, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer faced each other only twice before latter's retirement
After the 2017 Shanghai Masters, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faced each other only three times before the former's retirement in 2022.
They were set to face off in the semifinals of the 2019 Indian Wells Masters, before a knee injury sustained by Nadal in the straight-sets quarterfinal win against Karen Khachanov saw him pull out of the tournament.
The two went head-to-head in the semifinals of the French Open later that year, when Nadal defeated Federer 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 en route to clinching the title. They then locked horns at the same stage in Wimbledon, where the Swiss maestro won 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Incidentally, the last time Nadal and Federer shared the court, they were on the same side of the net as they partnered for a doubles match at the 2022 Laver Cup, and lost 4-6, 7-6(2), 11-9 to the American pair of Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.