There was a time when Roger Federer struggled against his great rival, Rafael Nadal…
Between 2008 and 2014, Nadal won 15 of the 19 matches he played against Federer.
Realising the tide had turned, Federer bounced back, winning six of the last seven matches they played against each other.
What is the one tennis result you would like to change?
Plenty to pick from!
But what change did he make to turn his fortunes around?
Ivan Ljubicic ‘finally convinced’ Roger Federer to change to a bigger racket after 2016
During the latest episode of ‘Beyond the Numbers‘, Jim Courier explained how Federer stopped losing to Nadal.
“He had to take six months off after he lost in the quarters of Wimbledon in 2016,” said Courier.
“That was an interesting period, because that was the time when Ivan Ljubicic finally convinced him to change to a bigger racket.
“That helped him solve the riddle of [Rafael] Nadal.
“He went on a run against Rafa because he had a bigger sweet spot, and he was willing to make the backhand earlier, and that was a massive difference.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s H2H record (2015-)
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2019 Wimbledon – SF | Roger Federer | Rafael Nadal | 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2019 French Open – SF | Rafael Nadal | Roger Federer | 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2017 Shanghai Masters – F | Roger Federer | Rafael Nadal | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2017 Miami Open – F | Roger Federer | Rafael Nadal | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2017 Indian Wells – 4R | Roger Federer | Rafael Nadal | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 2017 Australian Open – F | Roger Federer | Rafael Nadal | 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 2015 Swiss Indoors – F | Roger Federer | Rafael Nadal | 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 |
“Do you remember that Australian Open final in 2017?”
Jessica Pegula’s coach, Mark Knowles, shared his thoughts on Federer’s decision to change rackets.
“Switching rackets, it’s difficult,” he said.
“Remember in your time, you and Pistol Pete [Sampras]. You guys were not open to switching rackets. I remember, Pistol Pete said after his career, he wished he would have tried Luxilon.
“So for Roger to be open to doing that, and 100%, the backhand up the line, if you look at his career pre-2017, he did not have the firm rope up the line from inside the baseline, and you look at it after, that was a game changer for him.”
“He had a ridiculous run, seven titles that season and he got his ranking up to number two by year end,” added Courier.
Roger Federer’s ATP titles won in 2017
- 2017 Australian Open
- 2017 Indian Wells
- 2017 Miami Open
- 2017 Halle Open
- 2017 Wimbledon
- 2017 Shanghai Masters
- 2017 Swiss Indoors
2017 year-end rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Rafael Nadal | Spain | 10,645 |
| 2 | Roger Federer | Switzerland | 9,605 |
| 3 | Grigor Dimitrov | Bulgaria | 5,150 |
| 4 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 4,610 |
| 5 | Dominic Thiem | Austria | 4,015 |
The success Federer enjoyed after switching his racket does make you wonder just how much he could have achieved if he had made the change earlier in his career…
What did Roger Federer say about his racket change?
After winning his fourth-round match at Indian Wells in 2017, Federer shared his thoughts on the racket change.
“I think the backhand has gotten better because I have been able to put in so many hours on the racket now,” he said.
“Since this year, I feel super comfortable with the racket, and I think I have gained confidence stepping into it.
“I think it was the work that I had in [the offseason]. You never play 10 backhand-to-backhand shots, but in practice, you practice those a ton, and eventually, they are ingrained in the system. You need good footwork, because if the footwork is not good, you won’t be on top of the ball.”
The decision to change rackets clearly paid off for the 20-time Grand Slam champion!
