Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were often locked in battle on the court, but retained a friendship off it.
The Swiss and Spaniard dominated tennis (with Novak Djokovic) for almost two decades, winning 20 and 22 Grand Slams respectively.
For the most part, they got along well and still do.
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However, that’s not to say they agreed on everything…
Jon Wertheim says Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s ‘biggest fight’ was about the ranking system
During the latest episode of ‘Served with Andy Roddick‘, journalist Jon Wertheim recalled the ‘biggest fight’ Nadal and Federer ever had.
“The biggest fight I think [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal ever had, one of their few disputes, was when Rafa and his camp were trying to lobby for a two-year rolling ranking,” he said.
“Whether that was because of injuries or because there were additional points…
“It is a little confusing to the casual fan, seeing he got to the final, why would his ranking drop. And then sometimes you say, ‘That guy lost in the second round, how can his ranking go up?’
“Also, the thing with a rolling ranking over 52 weeks is that it’s a nice way to make sure that players re-enter the tournament they won the previous year.
“It’s a nice way for tournaments to make sure the defending champion doesn’t beg off, and they can build a bit of brand equity.
“I think overall it’s fair. Yes, there are some counterintuitive results sometimes.
“Pete Sampras finished year-end number one six years in a row, which I think is an underrated record of his, because it’s wire to wire.”
Nadal won more Grand Slams than Federer but spent fewer weeks at number one, partly due to injury.
If the rankings had been calculated over two years rather than one, Nadal may have benefited.
Most weeks at number one (ATP)
| Rank | Player | Weeks at number one | Most consecutive weeks | Grand Slams |
| 1 | Novak Djokovic | 428 | 122 | 24 |
| 2 | Roger Federer | 310 | 237 | 20 |
| 3 | Pete Sampras | 286 | 102 | 14 |
| 4 | Ivan Lendl | 270 | 157 | 8 |
| 5 | Jimmy Connors | 268 | 160 | 8 |
| 6 | Rafael Nadal | 209 | 56 | 22 |
| 7 | John McEnroe | 170 | 58 | 7 |
| 8 | Bjorn Borg | 109 | 46 | 11 |
| 9 | Andre Agassi | 101 | 52 | 8 |
| 10 | Lleyton Hewitt | 80 | 75 | 2 |
With a one-year rolling ranking system, missing a few months due to injury or suspension… all but ruins any chance of holding onto the top spot.
In 2025, Jannik Sinner was the world number one by some margin after winning the Australian Open.
But after Sinner missed three months of the year due to suspension, Carlos Alcaraz took the top spot from him in September.
A year later, the Italian has returned to world number one, winning the Monte Carlo Masters.
And he will now have several chances to extend the gap, with far fewer points to defend than his rival over the coming months, having missed this part of the 2025 season.
Wertheim explained what this means for the upcoming Madrid Open.
“Sinner did not play Madrid last year, so he doesn’t have to win the tournament, and his ranking will go up,” he said.
Live ATP Rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 13,350 |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 12,960 |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 5,105 |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 4,710 |
| 5 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 4,100 |
“I think on balance, I can’t imagine a better system overall.”
It is, however, important to remember that Alcaraz, like Sinner, missed the Madrid Open in 2025.
Therefore, should both players choose to attend this year’s event, they will do so with everything to gain and nothing to lose!
What did Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer say about the ranking system?
As reported by ‘Express‘, Nadal said the following in 2017.
“I’ve said in the past it [the schedule] didn’t work, but it will be better to have a ranking for two years,” he said.
“Two-year ranking, not one-year ranking. That’s going to protect the players and help the players to have periods to find windows for rest.
“Having a one-year ranking, it’s always that if you want to be in a good position in the ranking, you cannot rest much.”
Federer, on the other hand, had this to say during the 2011 ATP Finals.
“I’m not a big fan of it, just because I think it would make things rather boring, but that’s my personal opinion,” he said.
“Other than that, as the president of the player council, I think it’s not a good thing for the lower-ranked players.
“It’s going to be a struggle for them to make a big breakthrough; it’s going to take them multiple breakthroughs, so the dream of having one great tournament and making a move, in my opinion, is never going to happen.
“If we had a two-year ranking, things would be so slow, and nothing would really move.
“I can’t support it as the president of the player council. I have to look at all the players in the eye.
“I know it could be a good thing for me, or Rafa, or other good players, because for us to move down in the rankings, it would take something extraordinary, but for the lower-ranked players, I don’t think it would be a good thing, and that’s why I can’t support it.”
