Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

'We're the Messi and Ronaldo of tennis' Federer relishes Nadal rivalry

Roger Federer marked the 10th anniversary of his epic Wimbledon final loss to Rafael Nadal by claiming his rivalry with the Spaniard is the equal of the battle between football superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Federer will start his bid for a ninth Wimbledon title against Serbia's Dusan Lajovic on Centre Court on Monday.


But, on the eve of the Swiss star's 20th Wimbledon, the defending champion's mind drifted back to the evening he was dethroned by Nadal in a classic final widely regarded as the greatest match ever played.

Federer had beaten Nadal in two previous Wimbledon finals before the Spaniard knocked him off his perch in 2008 with a five-set thriller lasting almost five hours and late into the evening in front of an enthralled global audience of millions.

It was the match that cemented Federer and Nadal as the giants of their generation and accelerated the sport's resurgence as a multi-million pound industry.

Nadal's triumph -- his first at Wimbledon -- fuelled an epic rivalry that reminds Federer of the way Barcelona striker Messi and Real Madrid forward Ronaldo have slugged it out for the top prizes in football.

"Sure, yeah. They have a long-standing rivalry. I have the same with Rafa," Federer said when asked if he could see similarities between the rivalries.

"They're very different from one another. I guess there's some similarities there as well.

"As similar as we are, Rafa and myself, we're still very different on many levels. I think it's pretty much the same for them.

"Obviously in football, it's different because you're only as good as your team. The pitch is huge, with 11 of them running around.

"With us, we're a little more in control, let's be honest. I hope I can control it a bit better than they could."

Like Messi and Ronaldo, both Federer and Nadal have showed astonishing longevity, splitting the last six Grand Slam titles with three each.

Federer now has 20 major titles to his name, while Nadal clinched his 17th by winning the recent French Open.

- Painful memories -

Nadal arrives at Wimbledon as world number one, with defending champion Federer one place behind him.

And, while Messi and Ronaldo have flopped out of the World Cup in Russia, with Argentina and Portugal both eliminated on Saturday, Federer and Nadal could easily clash in 10th anniversary final reunion later this month.

For Federer, that would bring back painful memories of one of the most difficult defeats of his glittering career.

"I think it was one of the hardest losses I ever had, no doubt about it. I was so close to making it six in a row," Federer said.

"It was a great match for many reasons. It also made me more human potentially, the loss under the circumstances.

"We go back in time with Rafa. I'm sure that we'll talk about it when we're older in the rocking chair.

"We'll talk about how it all was. I'm sure I took something away from it, but mostly positive, even though the moment was pretty hard naturally."

Before he can contemplate avenging that loss, Federer's immediate aim is to avoid a first round wobble against world number 57 Lajovic.

Despite all his experience, playing the first match on Centre Court is still an anxious moment for Federer, who skipped the clay-court season to stay fresh for Wimbledon.

"I think it remains a little bit nerve-wracking, in all honesty. It's a big deal," said Federer, who won the Wimbledon warm-up at Stuttgart, but lost in the Halle final to Borna Coric last weekend.

"I mean, besides the history and the mythical place that it is, you cannot also practice on it.

"When you come out, there's a bit of uncertainty for both players, from a very quiet week and site that we've seen this week, it's just packed everywhere.

"The entire atmosphere changes at Wimbledon, and you realise the eyes are on you. It's a massive honour."

More For You

Jannik Sinner

Sinner has now won an incredible 20 successive Tour-level matches

Getty Images

Jannik Sinner reaches Wimbledon semis after straight-sets win over Shelton

Highlights:

  • Jannik Sinner beat Ben Shelton 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 to reach his second Wimbledon semi-final.
  •  
  • The world No. 1 showed no signs of elbow trouble, bouncing back after his previous injury scare.
  •  
  • Sinner was clinical on key points, breaking Shelton late in the second and third sets.
  •  
  • He extended his winning streak to 20 straight matches against American players.
  •  
  • The 23-year-old will now face Novak Djokovic in a rematch of the 2023 semi-final.

  • World number one Jannik Sinner shrugged off any doubts about his injured elbow to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the second time with a clinical defeat of powerful American 10th seed Ben Shelton on Wednesday.

    A high-octane contest on a muggy Court One was decided by slender margins with Italian Sinner seizing the few opportunities that came his way in ruthless fashion for a 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4 victory.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    Djokovic

    Djokovic dusted himself off and served out the victory

    Getty Images

    Novak Djokovic cruises past Cobolli for record 14th Wimbledon semi spot

    Highlights:

    • Djokovic beats Cobolli in four sets to reach last four
    • Serbian, seeking 25th Grand Slam title, next faces Sinner
    • Djokovic reaches record 14th Wimbledon singles semi-final

    Novak Djokovic was given an early scare but continued his bid for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon trophy and standalone 25th Grand Slam title by beating Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-7(6) 6-2 7-5 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals.

    The 38-year-old's fightback helped him reach a record 14th singles semi-final at the All England Club, where he will face top seed Jannik Sinner, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Taylor Fritz awaiting in the title clash.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    Iga Swiatek

    After years of nightmare outings at the spiritual home of lawn tennis,

    Getty Images

    Iga Swiatek storms into first Wimbledon semi-final after crushing win

    Highlights:

    • Swiatek completes full set of Grand Slam semi-final appearances
    • Polish eighth seed will meet Bencic in last four
    • Swiatek extends record over Samsonova to 5-0

    The balls kept on listening to Iga Swiatek on Wednesday as the Polish eighth seed walloped Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 7-5 to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time.

    After years of nightmare outings at the spiritual home of lawn tennis, Swiatek appears to have finally conquered her grasscourt demons as she said the "ball has been really listening" to her at Wimbledon this year.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    IPL valued at £13.5bn as Bengaluru tops franchise rankings

    Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli (C), along with his teammates, celebrates with the trophy after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 final cricket match against Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on June 4, 2025. (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)

    IPL valued at £13.5bn as Bengaluru tops franchise rankings

    THE Indian Premier League's business value has been estimated at $18.5 billion (£13.5bn) with reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru its wealthiest franchise, according to a report by an investment bank.

    The world's richest cricket tournament has been a top revenue earner for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and in 2020 was estimated to generate more than $11bn (£8bn) a year for the Indian economy.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    Sharapova defends Sabalenka

    The article in question described Sabalenka’s recent practice sessions

    Getty Images

    Maria Sharapova defends Sabalenka, calls Wall Street Journal article 'lazy reporting'

    Highlights:

    • Maria Sharapova criticises WSJ coverage of Aryna Sabalenka's Wimbledon practice
    • WSJ article suggested Sabalenka hits so hard she must train with men
    • Sharapova says the practice is standard in women’s tennis
    • Sabalenka says sessions with Djokovic and Sinner have improved her game

    Sharapova challenges headline on Sabalenka

    Maria Sharapova has called out the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over its portrayal of world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka’s Wimbledon preparations, urging the publication to “do better”.

    The 2004 Wimbledon champion took issue with an Instagram post by WSJ featuring a smiling Sabalenka under the caption: “The world No. 1 who hits so hard she practises against men.”

    Keep ReadingShow less