In their early tennis careers, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer mentioned a few athletes who served as sources of inspiration.
Both men named Pete Sampras, the tennis great; Nadal mentioned a legend in football; Federer named two basketball greats.
The iconic pair appeared together in the video “There are Journeys that turn into Legends” for the French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton’s Core Values campaign. The video was shot in the Dolomites mountain range of Italy, and the two discussed a variety of subjects.
Between 2004 and 2019, Federer and Nadal played 40 matches over a 15-year span, creating one of tennis’ most recognizable and intense rivalries ever. After leading 23-10 and 6-1 earlier in the match, Nadal prevailed 24-16, while Federer prevailed six of the previous seven meetings between the two.
Real Madrid fanatic Rafael Nadal paid tribute to the great Brazilian striker Ronaldo and emphasized the influence of his coach, fellow Mallorcan Carlos Moya, who was once ranked number one in the world.
“I have a strong interest in sports overall,” Nadal remarked. I am inspired by sports in and of itself, to start with. Ronaldo Nazario was a big inspiration to me as a child because I love football. I then got the opportunity to spend some time with him.
