Roger Federer Opens Up About 'Beautiful' Viral Moment Crying With Rafael Nadal

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The scene of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal crying next to one another at the conclusion of Federer's last match will go down as one of the most memorable moments in tennis history.

Reality quickly set in for Federer, Nadal, and tennis fans around the world that arguably the greatest player to ever live was officially calling it quits. While they lost their match in the Laver Cup, there was something almost romantic about Federer and Nadal playing a doubles match together in what was the Feds' last professional match.

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The outpouring of emotion from the two men who have had countless battles over the years proved how monumental the moment was.

(Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Federer Reflects On Crying Moment With Nadal

At one moment during the post-match tribute for Federer, he briefly held Nadal's hand as tears streamed down both of their faces. Federer was asked about the moment and explained that they were more happy tears than sad tears.

"I think at one point, I was sobbing so hard, and I don’t know, everything was going through my mind about how happy I am to actually experience this moment right there with everybody," Federer told The New York Times.

"And I think that’s what was so beautiful about just sitting there, taking it all in while the music was playing, and the focus was maybe more on her . So, you almost forgot that you’re still being taken pictures of."

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Nadal and Federer played each other a grand total of 40 times throughout their careers, including 14 Grand Slam matches. Nadal holds the edge in the rivalry with a 24-16 overall record and 10-4 mark in Grand Slams.

Federer ends his career with 20 Grand Slam singles titles, two shy of Nadal, the all-time leader.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.