Rafael Nadal cracks Roger Federer joke after receiving Sportsmanship Award at ATP Cup

The Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award winner Rafael Nadal joked that he would have to play for at least 50 years to match Roger Federer. It is the third time that Nadal has won the award honouring his professionalism, fair play and integrity on and off-court.

Nadal was voted by fellow players on the ATP Tour over Federer, Diego Schwartzman and Dominic Thiem. He holds the record for winning the award 13 times (the last time being in 2017).

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Rafael Nadal wins sportsmanship award at ATP Cup

Rafael Nadal was presented the trophy at the ATP cup after his win against Yoshihito Nishioka in Perth. During the press conference after the match, Rafael Nadal was told that he would need to win the award ten more times to level-up with Swiss ace Roger Federer. Rafael Nadal replied that he might play until 50 so that he can catch up with the current World No. 3.

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During the award presentation, Rafael Nadal said that the award meant a lot to him. He said that he wanted to be remembered as a good person more than a good tennis player. Rafael Nadal said that he has worked hard all his career to keep good self-control, maintain the right attitude and respect every opponent he has faced.

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Rafael Nadal also thanked all his colleagues on tour for voting for him. The World No. 1’s win against Nishioka ensured that his perfect record in the group stage remained intact. Rafael Nadal said that the match was a tough one as they played under harsh conditions. He said that he was happy with his performance. Spain will now head to Sydney to play in the quarter-finals on Friday.

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Image credit: Rafael Nadal Twitter handle