World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has revealed the personal text message he sent to his good friend Roger Federer after the Swiss won a record-equaling sixth Australian Open crown in Melbourne last month.
Federer beat former US Open champion Marin Cilic in a five-set thriller to claim his 20th Grand Slam title Down Under. The 36-year-old’s triumph helped him in trimming the Spaniard’s lead at the top of the official men’s rankings. Federer is just 155 points behind Nadal right now and could leapfrog him if he progresses to the semifinals or better of the upcoming tournament in Rotterdam next week.
Nadal, who admitted that his friendship with Federer has grown over the years, told Express Sport that he sent a congratulatory message immediately after his great rival won in Melbourne.
Nadal said: “I immediately sent him a text message (after the Australian Open final).
“I usually congratulate people I know in private rather than publicly. I’ve had a very good relationship with Federer for years now.”
“I was happy for him; I congratulated him and I told him I’m always happy when he does well.”
Nadal, who has 16 Major titles compared to Federer’s 20, maintained that he wasn’t concerned by Federer’s ever increasing count of Grand Slams. Instead, he was focusing on his own game.
He added: “I’m always looking at what’s in front of me, not what’s around me.
“There’s always someone who has achieved more than you or who has earned more than you. You can’t let that frustrate you; instead, it’s better to be satisfied with what you do, so long as you’re giving it your all.”
Nadal will be back in action in Acapulco at the end of the month, where he will attempt to win his first title of 2018. The Majorcan lost to Cilic in the Aussie Open quarterfinals after he was forced to pull out of the contest in the fifth set due to a thigh injury. However, scans conducted on his thigh revealed that the injury wasn’t too serious and he could be back on court after undergoing a recovery process of about three to four weeks.
