Roger Federer reveals what Rafael Nadal used to do in the locker room which left him amazed
Federer may just be the first to know exactly when the Spaniard calls it a day, with the Swiss icon having informed Nadal of his decision to retire 10 days before announcing it to the world.
The two tennis legends know each other very well, with Federer now sharing what he saw the Spanish ace do in the locker room before matches.
“Everyone is very different,” Federer told BBC Breakfast. “For some, it’s their only way of playing by showing that grit. “For me, I needed the balance. I could not go through a career with Rafa’s intensity. He’s running around the locker room getting intense. I was looking at him thinking: ‘Jeez, I’d be tired before getting on court.’
“We both can’t do it the other way and that’s why there’s so much mutual respect between athletes and players. Me, Rafa, Novak [Djokovic] or Andy [Murray], we do it all our own way and all roads lead to success.
“It’s tricky sometimes and there’s definitely moments when you don’t like a certain opponent, but then you like him so much. “It’s important to remember this as a player – it is just tennis and at the end, we can be normal.”
