Rafael Nadal
had accumulated just 26 victories in main draw matches in ATP tournaments when the 2004
Miami Masters 1000
arrived , in which he faced (and beat)
Roger Federer
for the first time , starting one of the great rivalries of all time. He was 17 years old and had not yet won his first title, which he would win a few months later in Sopot, Poland, while the Swiss was the current champion of Wimbledon, the Australian Open and was enjoying his first weeks as world number one.
Even so, the Spanish was not unknown. The tennis world was already beginning to talk about the enormous conditions of this teenager forged by the harsh discipline of his
uncle Toni
. He had stood out from a very young age with important results such as winning the prestigious
Les Petit As
(tournament for players between 12 and 14 years old) and his first victory in the senior circuit at 15 years and 330 days old. His leap to the big stage was awaited with great expectation.
He debuted that season in Miami with a 6-4 victory and retirement against Goran Ivanisevic, a former Grand Slam champion who was on his way out, and appeared to play with
Federer, winner of 23 of the 24 matches he had played until then in the year,
with the distinctive touch of his beginnings: shoulder-length hair, a sleeveless shirt and a fierceness on the court that contrasted with the shyness he showed off it.
“The number one in the world in front of him and behind him the man who could become number one one day,”
anticipated the TV commentator at the moment when the two players went out to the
central court
of the
Crandon Park Tennis Center. And once the victory was consummated he added:
“What an amazing victory for this boy! His progress is so fast that one wonders how far he will go.”
Today marks 20 years since that iconic moment.
Beyond his great qualities, that prognosis seemed a bit bold. There are so many young talents who simply remain great promises, often overwhelmed by the pressure that the public and part of the press exert on them, that it was feared that Nadal, 34th in the ranking at that time, could run the risk. Same luck. It was not the case with him. He seemed loose as if the best tennis player on the planet were not in front of him, he won decisively by a double 6-3 in one hour and 10 minutes of play and reached the round of 16, an instance in which he lost to the Chilean Fernando González.
He was firm with the serve, his main weak point: he put into play a high 81.3% of first serves, he had no
break points
against him and he broke Federer three times, who suffered from the intensity imposed by his rival from the line of service. background and the enormous ability to counterpunch with those
passing shots
that ended up becoming his trademark.
“I went out on the court with a positive attitude, not with the idea of trying to win a
game
. I am very happy because I played one of the best games of my life.
Obviously, he did not play his best tennis and that is the reason why I was able to win,” commented the Mallorcan with the humility that he maintains to this day.
"I've heard a lot about him and watched some of his matches.
I don't think this is a surprise to anyone,"
Federer praised him later. He heard about him, saw him play and also already knew him a little. Maybe that's why he didn't seem as upset as in other defeats, but rather he smiled shyly in the online greeting. That was the first duel between the two in singles, but it was not the first time they met on a tennis court. They had faced each other in doubles the previous week for the second round of
Indian Wells,
with a 5-7, 6-4 and 6-3 victory for the Spaniards Nadal and Tommy Robredo against the Swiss and his compatriot Yves Allegro.
That time the greeting was even more affectionate and then the conversation continued in the locker room. That was where the one from Basel, who was advancing at high speed in the singles table and would end up becoming champion, invited the one from Manacor, eliminated in the third round by Agustín Calleri, to sit in his
box
for the quarterfinal match against another Argentine, Juan Ignacio Chela. He could not refuse such an offer and there he sat next to "Mirka", Federer's current wife, reveling in a crushing 6-2, 6-1 victory for his Majesty.
The photo was left for the archive.
The image that hides a great anecdote between Nadal and Federer, when the Swiss invited the Spaniard to sit in his box in Indian Wells.
In 2005, exactly one year later, Roger and Rafa played the final in Miami, their first five-set match. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 they met consecutively in the finals of Roland Garros and Wimbledon, their favorite grounds. And so they continued to star in a true Superclásico in tennis, especially due to the clash of styles they marked. That rivalry remained off the court, while their great friendship, forged during those days in the California desert, continued over time.
So it was that 18 years later the Manacorí, still not being in physical condition to take the field, accepted the invitation of his archrival and friend to play the Laver Cup 2022 at the O2 Arena in London and accompany him in a doubles match that It put an end to his career. And they left another indelible image, that of both of them crying that farewell.
Tears for Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal at the Laver Cup 2022. Photo: AP
First teammates, then friends, rivals and tennis geniuses. Once and forever.