Coach Ivan Ljubicic says Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal started by having a great level of respect for each other before realizing they could actually be solid friends. In 2016, Ljubicic started working with Federer and he was a part of the Swiss’ team up until the former 20-time Grand Slam champion retired last year.
During his time with Federer, Ljubicic got to know the Swiss tennis icon extremely well. Now, Ljubicic says Federer would always do Nadal a favor and vice versa. “At first they just had a lot of respect for each other. Over time, they realized that they share many special moments.
And that they are on the same wavelength. It clicked. If Rafa calls Roger tomorrow and asks him something, he will do it for him. Vice versa too. I think it’s beautiful that they have such a good relationship,” Ljubicic told Tages Anzeiger.
Ljubicic on Federer’s memorable AO final win over Nadal
When Federer won the 2012 Wimbledon title, no one could have predicted that Federer wouldn’t win another Grand Slam until the 2017 Australian Open.
When Federer hired Ljubicic in 2016, the goal was clear – winning Grand Slams. At the start of the 2017 season, Federer ended his Grand Slam title drought after beating Nadal in the Australian Open final 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3.
In the fifth set, Nadal was up by a break but Federer recovered from the deficit and sealed the title. “2017 was wonderful, everything came together. When he hired me, his goal was pretty simple: to win Grand Slams again. We didn’t know if that would be possible.
It’s one thing to believe in it, but quite another to do it. How he beat Rafa (Nadal) in the final of the Australian Open after falling behind with a break in the fifth set, you can’t top that. This is Mount Everest,” Ljubicic said.Ljubicic and Federer enjoyed more success together as the Swiss also won it all at 2017 Wimbledon and the 2018 Australian Open.