"It was a huge honor to be part of Roger Federer's era" - Rafael Nadal responds to the Swiss maestro's congratulatory message
Rafael Nadal recently responded to Roger Federer's congratulatory message after the former clinched his 21st Major title against all odds on Sunday.
Nadal finally broke the men's record for most Grand Slam titles, overturning a two-sets-to-love deficit against World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final. The Spaniard's achievement was met with raucous applause from his peers, which also included arch-rival Roger Federer.
Federer took to Instagram to congratulate Nadal on becoming the first man to win 21 Grand Slams. The Swiss also admitted he felt great elation in the role he himself has played in the Spaniard's road to glory.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Roger Federer about Rafael Nadal’s
#21 https://t.co/L7LMIc9Lzf
The World No. 5 returned the favor during his trophy tour earlier on Monday, sparing a few kind words for his good friend and rival. Speaking to Swiss-German media present in Melbourne, the 21-time Grand Slam champion said he was going to respond to Federer in private.
He added that he shared an amazing camaraderie with the Swiss maestro before taking pride in how their rivalry led to some of the defining moments in tennis history.
"I'm gonna tell him in private, no? I wasn't able yet, to answer but yeah it means a lot to me, no? We have an amazing relationship. We did amazing things together, for me it's a huge honor to be part of his era," the World No. 5 said. "Together I think we lived amazing moments of the history of our sport. And you know, receiving this message from him means a lot to me, no?"
The Spaniard then extended his best wishes to Federer, who is himself battling a serious knee injury at the moment.
"I wish him well, he knows, I really hope we will be able to play again in important stages."
Rafa in Swiss TV about what Roger's message means to him.
"It means a lot to me. We have an amazing relationship, we did amazing things together. For me it's a great honour to be part of his era."
#RogerFederer #RafaelNadal21 https://t.co/hL3JwLfjpC
"To recieve a message like this from him means a lot to me. I wish him well - he knows- and I really hope that we will be able to play again in important stages."
"Impossible to imagine a day like this few years ago" - Rafael Nadal
Towards the end of the interview, Nadal insisted that he was uncertain about whether he could win the title prior to arriving in Melbourne. He also thanked his family and his team for their unwavering support, before going as far as to call his Australian Open triumph "the most unexpected" of his illustrious career.
"I never thought I'm gonna have a chance again to enjoy like this... have been impossible to imagine a day like this few years ago, so. I think I worked hard, all my team and family were next to me supporting me during these hard times. I was not ready for a match like this, at all. Was a big surprise, the most unexpected of my tennis career. But yeah, very very special," he concluded.
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