Toni Nadal reveals that Rafael Nadal’s team thanked Roger Federer for keeping them very respectful after dismantling the Spaniard in the 2011 ATP Finals. In the 2008 French Open final, Nadal crushed Federer with a score of 6 -1, 6-3, 6-0.
At the time, it was Federer’s third straight loss in the French Open final, as the 2006 and 2007 losses also came against Nadal. After crushing Federer in the 2008 French Open final, Nadal decided to keep his respect towards Federer.
“The only Roland Garros final that Rafael hasn’t celebrated by throwing himself to the ground was the one in 2008 against Federer, in a final won in three sets, quite unpredictably,” Toni wrote for El País.
During the group stage of the 2011 ATP Finals, Federer defeated Nadal 6-3 6-0. After easily beating Nadal, Federer was very respectful. Toni says Nadal’s team certainly noticed Federer’s class act. “Only three years later, in 2011, Roger had the opportunity to reciprocate with manifest consideration.
It was in the impressive O2 in London, during the Masters Cup, when after beating Rafael in a short hour with a convincing 6-3 and 6-0, he threw the last ball that Rafael sent to the public and with a totally atypical behavior for a player who has just won such an important match, lowered his head and did not raise his eyes from the ground until he ran into his defeated rival at the net to give him a warm pat on the chest,” adds Toni in his column.
Federer will play his last match in London
The reasons behind Roger Federer’s retirement announcement and the factors that led to the decision have been subjected to a lot of speculation. Federer lost the match in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-0, and stated that the last set was “one of the worst hours of my career.”
“The last set against Hurkacz was one of the worst hours of my career,” he revealed. “I realized that nothing works anymore. It’s over. The disappointment felt like fireworks in my head. I didn’t know how to proceed with this knee.
At the press conference, nobody asked how the knee was doing. I thought: Hey, am I such a good actor that nobody noticed?” Roger Federer also recalled that he was not at his best en route to becoming the oldest Wimbledon quarterfinalist in the Open Era.
“It was tough, the whole comeback was extremely difficult. I was so far from 100 percent. Reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon was unbelievable for me,” he said.
