Rafael Nadal was left furious with Frances Tiafoe after the Laver Cup doubles defeat that ended Roger Federer's professional career in 2022. Nadal and Federer lost to Team World's Jack Sock and Tiafoe on day one of the tournament, a result Nadal knew would be his last match alongside the Swiss icon.
Emotional Locker Room Scene
As shown in an Amazon Prime documentary, Nadal returned to the locker room and shared an emotional embrace with Federer before launching into a foul-mouthed tirade. Nadal began: "Okay, let's stop, finish with this s***." Federer then added: "Imagine if we would have won the doubles," sparking laughter all around. In response, Nadal fumed: "F***ing Tiafoe!"
Federer's Farewell Speech
Federer addressed Nadal and the rest of his team, saying: "Thank you, really special moment. I can't thank you enough for just being all here. I didn't know where to say goodbye. How, when, what? At one point I thought: 'Can I just say goodbye and not be seen?'. I didn't know if I could play. I was on vacation and I couldn't play at all. I had so much knee pain. I can't believe I was able to get through the match. It's been fantastic, so thank you."
He added: "I know you guys have your own career and family and everything. I didn't mean to take any moment from you guys. I'm happy we have two more days together. I'll be the pain in the a** that I am. We'll have a good time and I'll cheer you guys on."
Nadal on Their Rivalry
Speaking after Federer's retirement, Nadal said: "For me, he was always the guy to beat, so at some point, we were probably the biggest rivals, I think always in a very good way. We have never had any big issues and always respected each other and our families too, but our personal relationship has got better and better over the years and we approach life in a similar way."
He continued: "On the court, we have completely opposite styles and that's what probably makes our matches and our rivalry so big and interesting. I'm very proud to be part of his career in some way, but even happier to finish our career like friends after everything we shared on court as rivals."
