Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer marked an era in the sport, being dominant figures year after year. However, every beginning has its end.

Tennis fans remember their great performances and finals with nostalgia, and in an interview with You Quiz Rafael Nadal shared his emotions, saying that Federer’s retirement hit him hard.

Although they were rivals who had fierce clashes and difficult matches for years, the Spaniard still has respect for Federer and his great career.

They made each other better and strived for progress. When you have such strong competition next to you, it further motivates you to progress and become the best version of yourself.

The departure of the Swiss tennis player resulted in emotional reactions from Rafael Nadal, who still remembers his matches with Federer with fond memories

“In some way, he has been an important part of my life,” said Nadal, as quoted by Tennis Gazette.

“He was my main rival for a long time at the beginning of my career.”

The two were even seen in tears at the 2022 Laver Cup, realizing that their rivalry ultimately benefited both sides.

“When he retired, a part of me left with him.

“It was quite emotional.”

Return to the tennis courts: What would it mean for fans of the sport?

Tennis fans are hoping that in the future we will see these two tennis players on the ‘senior tour’ and enjoy their performances. While, of course, we cannot expect anywhere near the great performances of the past, their presence on the tennis courts will certainly awaken the public’s interest and rekindle excitement among tennis fans, especially those who are a little older.

Today’s tennis scene is largely based on Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, a duo that truly dominates day after day and is well on its way to maintaining its dominance for years to come.

Lorenzo Musetti had hoped to pull off a strong result at the Paris Masters 1000 this week and mathematically qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, scheduled to take place in Turin from November 9-16, but his run in the French capital came to an immediate end in the Italian derby against his compatriot Lorenzo Sonego.

The star from Carrara had won the first set without too much difficulty and seemed to be on his way to a victory in two sets, but the inertia of the match changed after Musetti wasted two break points favoring the comeback of his friend and compatriot. Lorenzo’s level dropped further in the third set and his performance was quite clear, with Sonego almost apologizing to him when they shook hands.

This untimely loss in the last Masters 1000 of the season complicates Musetti’s plans ahead of the ATP Finals, as the current world number 8 will have to watch Felix Auger-Aliassime’s results very carefully. The Canadian occupies ninth position in the ATP Race with a delay of 390 points compared to Lorenzo, but Felix is still in the running in Paris and has just reached the quarterfinals by beating German ace Daniel Altmaier in a huge comeback. Aliassime will face one of the most in-form players in the world right now – Valentin Vacherot – and if he were to reach the semifinals his disadvantage to Musetti would drop to just 40 points, with the Metz and Athens tournaments scheduled for next week being decisive.

Musetti failed in Paris

To the microphones of ‘Sky Sport Italy’ after the loss against Sonego, Musetti confessed that he is very tired: “There was definitely a lot of mental fatigue at the end. I couldn’t get going and find the energy, especially in the third set, and that definitely made the difference.”

He also added: “It’s a shame, because at the start I had control of the game, but then I was at the mercy of what Lorenzo Sonego was doing.”

It is likely that the Italian star will have to ask for a wild card for Athens or Metz.