Recently, 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal reflected on his great rivalry with tennis legend Federer and the experience of the match between the two.

Nadal and Federer took tennis to the pinnacle at the beginning of the 21st century, reaching unparalleled heights. They are rivals on the field, but they are friends off the field. The rivalry between these two players is considered one of the greatest in the history of tennis, attracting millions of viewers to the sport, inspiring countless people to take up the sport, bringing considerable commercial value while showcasing the best of their skills.

Nadal recently sat on Andy Roddick's podcast and spoke about Federer's changing style in the latter stages of his career, especially his performance against himself in the later stages.

"In the final stages of his career, I think he took a big step and became more aggressive. He probably made a small mistake early on against me and he tried to play my backhand against me, which gave me a chance to keep attacking his backhand with his forehand to get more time. But later in his career, he began to take bigger risks and take a more aggressive approach to play. Nadal said.

"To be honest, 2017 was a period of peak form for him. Especially when it comes to creativity, you will feel completely in control of yourself. Of course, this is more evident on hard courts, but clay is different. But he didn't compete on clay that year, and it took a few years before he returned to clay. I don't remember exactly what year it was, but he was very aggressive. Nadal added.

Nadal has made a relatively unpopular view that 2017 was one of the pinnacles of Federer's career. Federer, he said, took a more aggressive approach that year, playing a style of tennis that was extremely risky but equally rewarding.

In the 2017 Australian Open final, Federer defeated Nadal in the final to win his 20th Grand Slam title and the last Grand Slam title of his career. The classic clash ended with a score of 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3, making it the last time the pair met in a major final in their careers. That year, they also played each other three Masters, with Federer winning each of them.

During the conversation, Roddick and Nadal delved into Federer's style of play. Both legends praised Federer's serve and highlighted his precision and deflection that made his serve extremely difficult to deal with.

'His serve is hard to read. Of course, his serve was very precise. But for me, the most unpredictable thing about Federer's serve is that he can change constantly. Nadal said.

A top serve, Roddick also acknowledged the service dilemma he faced against Federer, adding: "He can deliver seven different serves with the same toss, which is completely unpredictable. He has a favorite way to serve, but he can also play other variations. ”

The exchange revealed the greatness of Federer's serve, something that many people didn't know about. The two tennis legends acknowledged Federer's ability to serve, emphasizing it as one of his most lethal yet often underrated weapons. The discussion showcased not only Federer's technical mastery, but also the mutual respect and friendship between the three great players.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)