Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal supposedly had very different training regimes (Image: Getty)
Rafael Nadal would train much more intensely than the “least bit interested” , says French Open winner Jose Cuevas. The Spaniard, who dominated the clay of Roland Garros for almost two decades, will hang up his racket this month, joining Federer, another legend, in retirement.
The pair fought fiercely on the court over the course of their careers, winning a combined 42 Grand Slam titles. Federer holds the record for the most on grass with eight, and Nadal retains a likely unbreakable record with 14 on clay.
However, the two allegedly approached training in rather different ways. Cuevas, who tasted French Open glory in 2008 with doubles partner Luis Horna and reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 19, gave an insight into what it’s like to put the icons through their paces.
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“The first time we [Cuevas and Nadal] trained together was in Hamburg, and I won a set during that training. From then on, he invited me to train with him about 25 times in the following six months, to win sets and to make it clear to me that winning that set had been a fluke,” the ex-pro told El Pais de Uruguay.
“Very different from Roger (Federer). I would play with him 10 sets, win all 10 and because he was practising other things, he wasn’t the least bit interested in the result.
“Rafa, on the other hand, was always training that competitive side: no matter how the training was going, the number one objective was to win, no matter how hard he was working on something else.”
Cuevas thinks Nadal trained more intensely than Federer (Image: Getty)
Cuevas isn’t the only tennis ace to admit that Nadal is a force in training. Current World No. 13 Holger Rune, who took to the practice court with him this year at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, mirrored the Uruguayan’s praise.
“Do I get inspiration from other players, or do I just focus on myself? A bit of both,” Rune began, speaking after the 2024 Paris Masters. “I think inspiration is important, but I always try to be a beast. Whether it’s in training, in preparation or in a match, I always want to push myself.
“You get inspiration from players like . I remember training with Rafa in Riyadh, and it’s surprising: this guy is almost retired, and he trains with such intensity that you think: ‘You shouldn’t retire’. He’s had an incredible career, and he’s achieved so much.”