'There were signs that made us feel that Rafa...'- Roger Federer on Rafael Nadal's struggle with longevity

The game of tennis is made up of some great legendary players who have given everything to the game and we have seen eras, with some of the most dominant players. However, the early 2000s and 2010s were some of the best years of tennis where we got to see the birth and resilience of the Holy Trinity made up of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. These three had made tennis the game, we all have loved throughout this generation.

Though we all have enjoyed watching Djokovic, it was Rafael Nadal who was the first obstacle for Federer, as at the age of just 19 Nadal took the game of tennis by storm. This was the era where we saw the ruthless and aggressive style of the Spaniard who made it tough for all his opponents in the game. Even Federer admits that Nadal was one of the best rivals he has had in the game during his career.

Federer on Nadal's longevity

Though there is no doubt that Nadal is one of the best players to ever grace the court with his powerful winners and destructive forehand shots, there were times we thought that the King of Clay would never survive in the game that long due to injury, but he still managed to come back every time and surprise us. Even Roger Federer talked about those concerns saying " Yeah, I mean, I was worried that he might quit before me. Some signs made us feel that Rafa was not well and that he was not going to last as long as he has."

Listening to this statement by Federer, we are glad that we got to see Nadal for as long as possible and give us some of the most iconic matches in his career. It has been a career full of memories that we could never forget at all. The battle between Nadal and Federer is what made the game of tennis one of the most global sporting events ever and we will never forget their contribution.