Roger Federer doffs his hat to Rafael Nadal: ‘I was happy for him. He keeps raising the bar’

There was high praise for Rafael Nadal from Roger Federer after the Spaniard’s latest “unbelievable” Roland Garros title, describing the achievement as “gigantic”.
Nadal won a record-extending 14th French Open crown last Sunday, defeating Casper Ruud in straight sets in the final on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The trophy also saw him edge further ahead of Federer and Novak Djokovic in the race for most Grand Slams as he moved to 22 with his great rivals still on 20.
It is his 14th crown in Paris, though, that is leaving many bowing down to him as his Roland Garros titles now matches the number of majors that Pete Sampras has in total.
Federer is certainly in awe of his achievements.
He also spoke about Nadal’s victory: “I didn't watch the final, I watched the quarter-final (against Djokovic) a bit before I went to sleep. In general, it's just unbelievable what Rafa has achieved. The record of Pete Sampras, which I beat, was 14 Grand Slam titles.” (5/6)
— Simon Graf (@SimonGraf1) June 11, 2022
“I didn’t watch the final, I watched the quarter-final [against Djokovic] a bit before I went to sleep,” the Swiss icon told journalist and his biographer Simon Graf. “In general, it’s just unbelievable what Rafa has achieved.
“The record of Pete Sampras, which I beat, was 14 Grand Slam titles.
“Now Rafa won the French Open 14 times. That’s unbelievable. I was happy for him that he did it again.
“Hats off to Rafa. After the 10th, 11th time, I already thought: ‘This can’t be.’ He keeps raising the bar. It’s gigantic.”
Latest
-
Tennis News
Garbine Muguruza not too concerned about ranking: ‘It’s about enjoying my time on court and taking trophies home’
“It’s more about keeping it calm and more simple,” says Garbine Muguruza.
-
Tennis News
How much can Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal charge for a sponsored post on Instagram?
Rafael Nadal may have slipped down the rankings, but he can still get some good money for sponsored ads.
-
Tennis News
Emma Raducanu backed to win more Slams, but warned about ‘toxic’ social media and endorsement obligations
Monica Puig has some advice for Emma Raducanu.
-
Wimbledon
Roger Federer’s BBC Wimbledon role should be ‘something unique’ like ‘running a show or doing interviews’
It wouldn’t make sense for Roger Federer to sit in the commentary booth for eight hours a day.
-
Tennis News
Dominic Thiem explains ‘defining criteria’ that leaves only Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in GOAT race
“Everything else is fine, but it’s not the same,” says Dominic Thiem.
-
Tennis News
Young Americans relishing prospect of the clay swing
Ben Shelton and the other young Americans are raring to go on clay.
-
News
Man City scandal, politics and Mason Greenwood – the tennis player driving a spicy Twitter account
Twitter can be a place where opinions can divide and reactions can be brutal, yet Liam Broady doesn’t hold back.
-
Grand Slam
Jimmy Connors delivers trademark tribute to Novak Djokovic
Jimmy Connors delivers a glowing tribute to Novak Djokovic.
-
ATP Tour
Novak Djokovic on course to break rankings record in February
Novak Djokovic moves one step closer to immortality.
-
WTA Tour
WTA Rankings: Alycia Parks on the brink of top 50, Lin Zhu achieves season goal
It was a landmark week for Alycia Parks and Lin Zhu.