How Federer and Nadal turned up the bromance in 2017

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. The best rivalries in sports don’t usually blossom into full-blown friendships until one or both parties have called it quits on their careers. To bring out the best in each other as competitors usually meant that, while both were active, a certain edge and a real distance had to be maintained—one that kept any publicly warm feelings at bay.

Somehow, this rule no longer seems to apply to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, even as they compete at the very top of the men’s game. They split the 2017 Grand Slam haul between them, they played each other four times at Masters 1000-level tournaments or higher (Federer won all four matches), and yet the “Fedal” bromance was born anyway.

Not that it was always so. There have been times in the rivalry where relations seemed perfectly respectful yet…remote. Federer has said on many occasions that Nadal has “hurt my career,” and while delivered as the utmost compliment, surely there have been times when the sentiment was curdled with bitterness?

Indeed, it often seemed throughout the years that Nadal was the more eager of the two to keep things friendly. In one of the most indelible images in their rivalry, who could forget Nadal helping Federer through a difficult runner-up speech at the 2009 Australian Open Final?

Eight years later, it would be Federer offering Nadal warm words of encouragement as he captured the 2017 Australian Open title over his longtime rival.

Besides a shared appreciation for the intertwined paths of their careers, continued excellence, and the fact that both have been prematurely written off before, one gets the sense that Roger’s recent dominance of the rivalry has also helped take any remaining sting out of the relationship.

For tennis fans, that’s been a major victory, as it’s led to a full-fledged bromance between the two.

Here’s a look back at the “Fedal” phenomenon over the past year:

1

Nadal Opens His Tennis Academy

Technically, the birth of the Fedal bromance might be traced back to the Fall of 2016, when Nadal opened his tennis academy in his hometown of Manacor, Mallorca. On hand to celebrate, Federer was full of praise for his rival, crediting him with forcing Federer to completely reimagine his own game. The analysis wasn’t new, but the fond sentiment was.

2

The Australian Open

The two legends opened their 2017 bids with a sight no one was sure would happen again: a Federer-Nadal Grand Slam Final.

Federer prevailed in the dramatic five set match but admitted, “I would have been happy to lose” to Nadal, and he seemed sincere, so appreciative was he of the occasion to play his longtime rival in another Grand Slam final.  That evening felt like a celebration of both their careers, even if only one could walk away the winner.

3

Laver Cup

Laver Cup, a new exhibition pitting Europe against the rest of the world, was an overwhelming success in its first year, in no small part due to the lure of seeing Nadal and Federer join forces on the court as a doubles team.

The two did not disappoint, with the “Fedal” bromance taking full flight with one of sport’s most memorable images of the year:

4

The one year anniversary of Nadal’s academy

To come full circle, the one-year anniversary of Nadal’s gave the tennis world yet another occasion to witness the continuation of the Federer-Nadal love affair. Roger sent this heartfelt congratulations to his new bestie.

Rafa returned in kind with glowing thanks of his own to Roger.

As the players wind down the 2017 season, no other story in the men’s game mattered more than the resurgence—and joining of forces—of Federer and Nadal. For the first time in a half decade, the Big Four was no more.

Instead, there were two.