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Rafael Nadal Coached Roger Federer To Laver Cup Victory Over Nick Kyrgios

Rafael Nadal Coached Roger Federer To Laver Cup Victory Over Nick Kyrgios

Tennis' two biggest rivals became teammates over the weekend and Nadal's tactics helped Federer win the Lave Cup for Europe.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal being on the same team, cheering each other on and even helping each other out is as weird a thought as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi together. But Nadal did help his long time rival against Nick Kyrgios at the weekend.

For football's Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi tennis has been lucky in this era to be blessed with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, whilst Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have come closer to the pair than anyone has to football's own outrageous talents.

It has been a ridiculous period for tennis quite frankly and in the last year both Federer and Nadal have returned to the top of the mountain in a way no one could have ever imagined they would.

Federer and Nadal took on the American team of Jack Sock and Sam Querrey. Image: PA

On the weekend though was the rarest thing of all, the pair on the same side as Federer's Laver Cup attempted to recreate golf's Ryder Cup by pitting Europe against the rest of the world.

If the sight of the pair on the same side of the net in doubles was strange enough then the last match between 'Fed' and Aussie Nick Kyrgios possibly saved the weirdest moment for last with Nadal actually providing coaching for his former foe:

Speaking to Sky Sports the Spaniard revealed what he told the older man just after he'd levelled things up at one set all saying, "Just to be a bit more aggressive. He is playing great, and controlling the points from the base line.

"But we thought that he could be a bit more aggressive on the forehand and Roger agreed."

Fed lifting the inaugural Laver Cup that he brought about. Image: PA

At 36 and 31, and having taken large amounts of time out through injury last season, Federer and Nadal now hold all of the Grand Slam titles from 2017 with two each.

The pair are also number one and two in the world and with Djokovic and Murray out with injury look to stay there for a while yet.

There's still hope for Messi and Ronaldo to work together, right?

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Rafael Nadal, roger federer