Rare Footage Of Rafael Nadal And Roger Federer Playing Doubles Together Is Poetry In Motion Stuff

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have shared the court on the biggest stages over the years, playing out an incredible rivalry in tennis.

With 42 Grand Slams between them, the pair are undoubtedly two of the greatest in the history of the sport and have produced matches of the highest level across multiple countries and continents.

But in 2017, the duo teamed up for the first time ever as a double act and it was just as magnificent as we hoped it would be.

Representing Team Europe against the rest of the world at the Laver Cup in Prague, Feder and Nadal came up against Americans Sam Querrey and Jack Sock.

They defeated the pair in two sets, recording a 6-4 1-6 (10-5) victory.

The result gave Team Europe a 9-3 lead and they ended up winning 15-9 in the indoor hard court tournament.

For avid tennis fans, it was absolute bliss seeing Nadal and Federer on the same side.

It was the equivalent of seeing Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi line up alongside one another in a game and they didn't disappoint.

The twosome put on an absolute clinic and were simply too good for their opponents. The crowd at the O2 Arena lapped it up, with Nadal and Federer sharing an embrace after securing the final point.

Commenting on being teammates with Nadal, Federer said: "We only ever practiced once together, back at the World Tour Finals, so we don’t show each other a lot. We will always be rivals.

"But this was something very special, it was an absolute pleasure being on the court with Rafa and seeing his decision-making process.

"I understand that people only expect a win from us, but it’s very complicated, we’re playing indoors against the big servers, and I hadn’t played doubles for so long, I was trying to remember what to do. The two of us getting together, our two fan groups having to get together, that was interesting too. It was a success, but this isn’t just about us.

"The celebration of Rod Laver and having John and Bjorn there over-rides the doubles, but this was still an important moment for us."

Last week, Nadal surpassed Federer's tally of 20 Grand Slams when he beat Daniil Medvedev to claim the Australian Open.

Featured Image Credit: Image: Laver Cup

Topics: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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