Retrospective #2: The day Nadal and Federer played out one of the most memorable finals in history (Rome 2006)

"Really. Rafa is a great person, with great values. Today, he told me he cried when I won my French Open in 2009, because he was so happy for me."

This excerpt from one of Roger Federer's many interviews highlights the special relationship between these two legends of our sport. The same friendly rivalry that succeeded in attracting a record crowd of 52,000 to Cape Town for a tennis match in 2020.

Asked about the evolution of their relationship over time, at the 2017 Laver Cup, Roger recalls: "At first, Rafa was shy, always very respectful towards the other players in the top 10, and me in particular because I was world number 1. Then his personality asserted itself. We had some tough and painful battles on the court, a few falling-outs, too, but there was always enormous respect between us."

Yes, Federer and Nadal have had several tough battles, leading to a few falling-outs. One of the most memorable came on May 14, 2006, when the two legends met in the final of the Rome Masters 1000.

- A little background

In 2006, these were the two best players on the planet. On the one hand, Roger Federer is undoubtedly the strongest tennis player. Number 1 in the world since February 2004, he is firmly entrenched on the throne and will remain there until August 2008. Opposite the Basler is Rafael Nadal. In 2006, he was the most credible challenger to the Swiss hegemony. Runner-up to Federer since July 2005, he remained so until August 2008, when he finally overtook the Maestro in the rankings.

Before discussing this monstrous duel in a little more detail, let's take a look back at the seasons of these two titans.

At just 19 years of age, 'Rafa' had a very successful 2006: he won 58 of 70 matches, claimed 5 titles (Dubai, Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Roland-Garros) and lost one final (at Wimbledon, beaten by Federer).

Federer, for his part, had an almost inhuman season. In 17 tournaments played in 2006, Roger fell before the final only once (beaten by Murray in Cincinnati). The Swiss, at the peak of his powers, won 90 out of 95 matches and claimed 12 titles, including three Grand Slam titles (Doha, Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Halle, Wimbledon, Montreal, US Open, Tokyo, Madrid, Basel, ATP Finals). The only one to resist him is 'Rafa'. The Spaniard deprived the Basler of four titles, including of course the French Open, which prevented the Maestro from completing the calendar Grand Slam. Fortunately, Federer controlled his opponent much better for the rest of the season, winning their last two matches.

It's no secret that the duels between Federer and Nadal have left their mark on generations of tennis fans. In the history of tennis, the "Fedals" have played 40 matches (24 wins to 16 for Rafa). 2006 will go down as the year of their rivalry, as they met 6 times.
Many of their duels are worthy of an article. But what we're interested in here is the Rome Masters 1000. And in 2006, these two played out one of the most memorable finals in tennis history in the Eternal City.

- A match to make history

At the time, Federer was frustrated. Having lost 3 consecutive matches to the Spaniard, he was determined to exact his revenge. Beaten in Monaco three weeks earlier, the Swiss felt he was getting closer to the right strategy: "I played more intelligently than at Roland Garros (2005 semi-final) today (in Monaco). I'm one step closer to beating him on clay".

On the other side of the court, 19-year-old Rafa is already a king. Since losing to Igor Andreev in Valencia in 2004, he has won 52 consecutive matches on clay. As a result, he is already one shy of Guillermo Vilas's mammoth record of 53 consecutive clay-court victories. To equal the Argentinian's record, he needs to beat Federer at the Foro Italico. Where, one year earlier, he defeated Guillermo Coria in one of the greatest clay-court matches in history.

- Federer, the world's No. 1 with a vengeance

From the very first point, Federer put his money where his mouth was. He has a plan. He played right into the Mallorcan's backhand, in fairly central areas to avoid too big a gap, and leapt to the net as soon as possible. Winning 15 out of 18 points at net, he ends up winning the first act at the end of a one-sided tie-break (7-0).

Having been perfecting his game for months to be able to counter Nadal on ochre, the Swiss bluffed the world. Using the cushion much more than usual, he makes the most of his time on the court.