How the iconic picture of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at Laver Cup was captured: Photographer bares it all
Roger Federer's final match at last week's Laver Cup drew plenty of attention, with fans particularly moved by a heartfelt display of uninhibited emotion by the Swiss alongside his arch-rival, Rafael Nadal. The duo sobbed to no end after their doubles showing against Team World, and momentarily held hands to console each other.
The poignant moment was captured by photographer Ella Ling, whose picture, titled 'Holding Hands,' has gone viral on the internet. She recently spoke to CNN about the picture and her experience of witnessing such a rare and emotional occasion from close quarters.
Roger Federer has called it a "secret thank you" - the moment he took Rafael Nadal's hand during his farewell to tennis.
Photographer @EllaLing23 tells @donriddellCNN about capturing the tearful image of the two tennis greats: cnn.it/3CjonCh https://t.co/Gw0mwumqVK
Ling revealed that while she was expecting lots of tears from Federer, she was surprised at the extent of the emotion showed by him.
"It was a moment we knew was coming. We didn't exactly know what to expect. We know Roger [Federer] does get emotional during interviews or when he talks about his family. I was expecting a lot of emotions and tears but I wasn't expecting quite so much," she said.
Ling recalled how she tried to focus primarily on Federer and Nadal, who were sitting side-by-side while surrounded by fellow Team Europe members, as British singer Ellie Goulding performed on the court.
"I was focusing on Roger and Rafa because they were sitting together on the bench. All the players were surrounding them. I could just see Roger becoming more and more emotional, he was sobbing. Rafa was next to him and he couldn't couldn't face Ellie Goulding or Roger, he was trying so desperately not to cry," she added.
and never will again.
Never seen anything like that in tennis 👬 and never will again.
The end of the golden era.
Goodbye Roger and well played, Sir. @rogerfederer @RafaelNadal @LaverCup @CanonUKandIE @ShutterstockNow #letsholdhands #thelastdance #RF https://t.co/rbtjVe483f
Ella Ling reckoned that the 20-time Major winner was so overwhelmed that he instinctively reached out to his good friend Nadal for solace.
"Roger got to a point where he needed his friend, I think initially he put his hand on Rafa's leg and gave it a squeeze," Ling said. "Then he put it onto his hand and gave it a squeeze. In the image it looks like they're holding hands for five minutes but it was half a second probably. That's the beauty of photography, you capture these moments and they're there forever."
"For Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to just be sitting there and crying uncontrollably, and being so open about it is incredible" - Ella Ling
During the same interview, Ella Ling described the sincere moment between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as a testament to their devout friendship. She pointed out how the duo share similar values in their lives outside the tennis court and have long exemplified sportsmanship.
"I think friendship. These two players are the biggest rivals they have had. Away from the court, they share very similar morals and values, they value family a lot, they're both very classy. They've always won sportsmanship awards. I think that's where they bonded. I don't think any of us really understood how close they were. They're just true friends," she said.
Ling further asserted that such an unrestrained display of emotion from two male athletes is an unusual occurrence, especially in men's sports, and marked an important shift in how male sportspeople are perceived.
"To have these two masculine men, male athletes who would not normally show any emotion, you try not to in tennis. For them to just be sitting there and crying uncontrollably, holding each other's hands and being so pure and open about it is incredible. This would do a lot of good for society as well to see that," she concluded.