Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s rivalry was the focal point of the sport for much of the 2000s and the 2010s.
Nadal and Federer continue to tease a reunion after the pair met 40 times between 2004 and 2019 on the ATP Tour.
The Spaniard led his head-to-head with Federer by winning 24 matches from their 40 meetings, including the finals of the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and Roland Garros.
The pair jostled for Grand Slams throughout their careers, and Tim Henman made a prediction about who would come out on top before they hung up their racquets.
Tim Henman predicted Rafael Nadal would win more majors than Roger Federer
In a 2017 interview with The Daily Express, Henman discussed Nadal’s chances of toppling Federer’s Grand Slam record.
Federer had 17 Grand Slams at the time, while the Spaniard was behind on 14 major championship crowns.
Nevertheless, Henman was confident that the King of Clay could usurp his Swiss rival before he retired.
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Henman said: “He’s got a chance hasn’t he? These are all opinions and the beauty of sport is that there’s no script and that’s why we watch it. If we knew what would happen, we wouldn’t watch it.
“And that’s another great question. Who’s going to be the next person to break into the dominance of the top four? Can Federer win more Grand Slams? Can Nadal overtake Federer? He could do.
“Who’s the favourite for the French Open next year, it’s gotta be Nadal by miles. So I wouldn’t be surprised if he did overtake Federer. But only time will tell.”
Nadal ended his career with 22 Grand Slams, while Federer was two behind with 20.
Rafael Nadal’s goals did not involve toppling Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer
Despite ending his career with more titles than Federer, the star had previously admitted that beating his rivals in terms of major crowns was not his immediate goal.
Speaking when he, Djokovic, and Federer all stood on 20 Grand Slam victories, Nadal said: “I am super satisfied and feel very lucky for all the things that happen to me. I have a way to approach life.
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“You can’t be always frustrated if the neighbour has a bigger house than you or a better phone or a better thing.
“I won’t be frustrated if Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer have more Grand Slam victories than me at the end of their careers.”
Djokovic eventually took the lead over Federer and Nadal, and he currently stands on 24 Grand Slam victories.
