Why can't people like both Federer and Nadal?

I've been watching tennis seriously for the past 12-13 years. Loved Federer when he came along for reasons that everyone loves him, his class, composure, style, seemingly effortless style of play, gracefulness etc etc. When Nadal came along, I didn't like him at first but gradually grew to appreciate him and started liking him a bit more than Federer as well.
I agree Nadal's game is definitely nowhere near as 'eye-catching' as Federer's but I think he's a hell of a player, has achieved a lot, changed his game to prove his critics wrong and win all the Grand Slams and has tremendous tenacity, power and like Federer, is extremely humble and respectful towards the game and his fellow players.
So, my point really, is why do people see the need to support either Federer or Nadal? And 'Roger fans' hate 'Rafa fans' and vice-versa. It's almost as bad as supporting football teams. Sure, if there was a match between Nadal and Federer, I would slightly prefer Nadal to win but wouldn't mind if Federer won either. If Federer was playing against any other player, I'd support Federer.
So many of my friends who are 'Roger fans' were ecstatic beyond belief when Nadal lost to Rosol this year. Infact, one of them today, even updated his status as 'Come on Rafa' in an attempt to '**** Nadal fans off'. I just don't get it.
And also, it's not like the two of them hate each other. They seem to get along just fine, have loads of respect for each other and would have been better friends if not for the language barrier, with Rafa not being very fluent in English and Roger knowing virtually no Spanish.
 
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Nathaniel_Near

Guest
Patience.... You are used to waiting 16.95 years for Nadal to serve, right? The responses will come eventually and I can only presume that you are an exceptionally patient person.
 
Its because they are so different in temperament and playing style. Federer=old classic style tennis, regal bearing with floppy hair. Nadal=sweaty, tough, pirate tennis rambo machine.
 
Patience.... You are used to waiting 16.95 years for Nadal to serve, right? The responses will come eventually and I can only presume that you are an exceptionally patient person.

Exactly what I mean, sense the hostility. I was ecstatic that Federer won Wimbledon btw, thought it was about time.
 

Alchemy-Z

Hall of Fame
I am a fan of Tennis period.

I like Fed for his classic game and record chasing drive.

I like Nadal for his battle for every point and tweaking of his game to improve on surfaces outside of clay

I like Roddick for his rocket serve and his sarcastic post match interviews.

fun to watch Tsonga/Monfils/Dogopolov

I like watching the power hitters Berdych/Solderling/del Potro crush forehands

I like the big servers Isner/Karlovic/Raonic

Novak's spider man like agility

Murray's point construction

Tipsys Humor

etc....
 
I can understand the preference, but why the hate?

I think because Nadal has threatened Fed's legacy, without him Fed would be GOAT no questions asked. That highlights Nadal's unorthodox play compared to the 'graceful, effortless' Federer. Basically Fed fans are threatened by Nadal and outraged at his style of play. Nadal fans feel this and respond by attacking Fed as arrogant and aloof.
 
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Nathaniel_Near

Guest
Exactly what I mean, sense the hostility. I was ecstatic that Federer won Wimbledon btw, thought it was about time.

I'm sure you were, after all, you are a self proclaimed Roger Federer fan. I believe you stated as such in the opening post.
 

valiant

Hall of Fame

You like them both but you cannot expect everyone to be same. You said before they have different style of play etc - which could be factor, why certain people prefer a certain player. I don't believe all Nadal fans hate Federer or vice versa.

The problem is many fans will defend their player at any cost which irks other fans which in turn leads to all the beautiful arguments and threads we have in TW.
 
You like them both but you cannot expect everyone to be same. You said before they have different style of play etc - which could be factor, why certain people prefer a certain player. I don't believe all Nadal fans hate Federer or vice versa.

The problem is many fans will defend their player at any cost which irks other fans which in turn leads to all the beautiful arguments and threads we have in TW.

I don't expect everyone to be the same, I'm just wondering why the hate. I can understand in the past when players didn't get along, McEnroe-Lendl, Sampras-Agassi, but these guys get along so well and have so much respect for each other.
 
I don't expect everyone to be the same, I'm just wondering why the hate. I can understand in the past when players didn't get along, McEnroe-Lendl, Sampras-Agassi, but these guys get along so well and have so much respect for each other.

Its true Roger and Rafa get along reasonably well. However, a large part of that is that Nadal is a sweeter and much more simple personality than his caveman tough guy image and defensive machine style would suggest. Up until recently, he's been deferential towards Fed in terms of Fed's top dog status. The chasm in what they represent is actually wider than the other rivals though which is why their fans hate each other.
 

TeflonTom

Banned
I don't expect everyone to be the same, I'm just wondering why the hate. I can understand in the past when players didn't get along, McEnroe-Lendl, Sampras-Agassi, but these guys get along so well and have so much respect for each other.
the guy plays unattractive tennis. ppl hated borg, lendl, chang for the same reason. this is nothing new

plus like i said, the drugs cloud. his physique/game style n regular breaks for treatment for 'tendonitis', etc have always made him susceptible to accusations. But his links to Eufemiano Fuentes, combined with the Spanish government's suppression of the report into Operation Puerto which was supposedly going to implicate a lot of top spanish athletes just stinks

he may be clean but lotta ppl assume he's jacked up. doesnt help that itf doping regime/transparency is a joke
 
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Flash O'Groove

Hall of Fame
Personnaly I used to like both of them for the reasons you listed. While I always prefered Federer, I loved Nadal too and favored him against other players such as Djokovic and Murray. But since i have reader some Natards arguments on the internet I have some dislike for him, in reaction of the meanness of his fan. I know that it is not a good reason, but after all thoose stupids treads about the H2H, what Fed should do to be the greatest players, and so, I like when he lose, if only to hurt his fans.:oops:
 

hedera

Rookie
Sometimes you just have to look at a person and you feel irritated. I know I do when I see Nole. I can't put my finger on it. He's a great player, polite, funny etc. He just tries too hard, I guess!
With Rafa I sense enormous insecurity (mistaken for humility) and I can't stand that in people, especially when they resort to dodgy tactics to mask it. These people usually drag you down to their level of misery to feel better about themselves.
I like Roger because he knows he's great and he says it.
 
From a pure tennis point of view, I'm a fan of Fed, Nadal, and Nole. IMO it's folks who try to read more into their personalities and relate or are unable to relate to what their public images represent that start to have 'personal' issues with these guys. In reality, these guys are all the 'elite' of society, but for some reason, and you see this on many forums and people discussing their favorites in general, people have broken them down into 'elite' vs. 'working class guy who's made it' vs. 'unpolished war torn country survivor who's beaten all odds.'

:)
 

jmverdugo

Hall of Fame
I do not mind the regular teenager posting stupid threads with the intention of diminish a particular player achievements or saying bad things of them, because, well they are teenagers, but it is scary when a poster you know is an old man (I would not use the term "grown up") starts the same kind of threads ... and there are quite a few in this board from all the fans bases ... ****ism is a disease
 
I actually hate nobody. The *******s are annoying as he** though. Just because you are a fan of a stylish player you are not a stylish poster, I'll tell you that right now.

One of the few athletes I dislike is Ronaldo, but that's just because he is such a diva, a complainer, and a cheater. Tennis? Maybe Koellerer, but the guy is so nuts it's tough not to be mildly fascinated by his antics.

Oh, I forgot. Some of the people in the Possum camp (and Possum's own celebrations sometimes) are simply annoying. His dad seems like the biggest jerk, in particular. Again, I love Djoker's attitude in defeat.

Life is complex, usually people have multiple facets in different situations. It's tough to find a 100% goon.
 

Emet74

Professional
In reality, these guys are all the 'elite' of society, but for some reason, and you see this on many forums and people discussing their favorites in general, people have broken them down into 'elite' vs. 'working class guy who's made it' vs. 'unpolished war torn country survivor who's beaten all odds.'

:)

It's especially funny given that Nadal's family was far wealthier and more "elite" than Fed's when they were growing up. And going back a generation, Nadal's grandfather was organizing classical music symphonies while Feds grandfathers were a textile worker and a foreman on a farm.

I think the OP nailed it when comparing to rival teams in team sports. While folks will always have their favorites, it's the rivalry that leads to the instinct to find reasons to hate the other side.
 

Bruce39

Banned
I actually hate nobody. The *******s are annoying as he** though. Just because you are a fan of a stylish player you are not a stylish poster, I'll tell you that right now.

One of the few athletes I dislike is Ronaldo, but that's just because he is such a diva, a complainer, and a cheater. Tennis? Maybe Koellerer, but the guy is so nuts it's tough not to be mildly fascinated by his antics.

Oh, I forgot. Some of the people in the Possum camp (and Possum's own celebrations sometimes) are simply annoying. His dad seems like the biggest jerk, in particular. Again, I love Djoker's attitude in defeat.

Life is complex, usually people have multiple facets in different situations. It's tough to find a 100% goon.

Interesting, so you don't label any *********s as 'annoying'. Of course now you may redact and say yes, some are, but your initial instinct was not to mention anything about them. :) Ahh yes, a ********* through and through. You may not use the word 'hate', but the emotions arise from the same dark place.
 

augustobt

Legend
It's because what the players represent.

Federer is the beauty. The variety. People who likes Federer usually loves the things beautifully and perfectly done. Tends to love the shape and design of things, tends to seek for gorgeous things in their lives. It's about not being afraid of make mistakes to find the right choice. It's risky, but it worths sometimes.

Nadal is just the same thing. Over and over. Ball chaser, defensive style. Something that I dislike. I can't like that. The lack of sportmanship, the lack of education, everything.
 

ivan_the_terrible

Hall of Fame
the guy plays unattractive tennis. ppl hated borg, lendl, chang for the same reason. this is nothing new

plus like i said, the drugs cloud. his physique/game style n regular breaks for treatment for 'tendonitis', etc have always made him susceptible to accusations. But his links to Eufemiano Fuentes, combined with the Spanish government's suppression of the report into Operation Puerto which was supposedly going to implicate a lot of top spanish athletes just stinks

he may be clean but lotta ppl assume he's jacked up. doesnt help that itf doping regime/transparency is a joke

Since this can't be proved (ignoring the pile of circumstantial evidence), I'll just add that he cheats (there is a pile of evidence for this). Most people hate cheaters, those that can't admit it try to rationalize it via various mental gymnastics. This board is littered with posts by his apologetics, I don't have to rehash their delusional babble.
 
It's because what the players represent.

Federer is the beauty. The variety. People who likes Federer usually loves the things beautifully and perfectly done. Tends to love the shape and design of things, tends to seek for gorgeous things in their lives. It's about not being afraid of make mistakes to find the right choice. It's risky, but it worths sometimes.

Nadal is just the same thing. Over and over. Ball chaser, defensive style. Something that I dislike. I can't like that. The lack of sportmanship, the lack of education, everything.
See, it's this type of cr@p that annoys me. What lack of education? Fed speaks multiple languages because he was born using them. Nadal is actually far more insightful than Fed when talking in each of their native languages.

Lack of sportmanship? Federer doesn't agree with you, and I think he knows better than you. This is all a stupid black legend perpetuated by ******* goons like yourself.
 
D

Deleted member 77403

Guest
It's because what the players represent.

Federer is the beauty. The variety. People who likes Federer usually loves the things beautifully and perfectly done. Tends to love the shape and design of things, tends to seek for gorgeous things in their lives. It's about not being afraid of make mistakes to find the right choice. It's risky, but it worths sometimes.

Nadal is just the same thing. Over and over. Ball chaser, defensive style. Something that I dislike. I can't like that. The lack of sportmanship, the lack of education, everything.

:confused: What the....

I am a Federer fan, but admire what Nadal has done. I certainly don't hate him, and actually find myself cheering him on in some matches, when he is not facing my favs.
 

Bruce39

Banned
You are a Fed fan through and through, sir. Well done! :)

I never denied it, but I also didn't pretend to be all self-righteous and claim "Oh dear all of these haters, I mr. wonderful do not hate anyone!". And then go on to indict the opposing ****s only :). LOL. Hypocrisy is rampant amongst the biggest ****s.
 

syke

Professional
I actually hate nobody. The *******s are annoying as he** though. Just because you are a fan of a stylish player you are not a stylish poster, I'll tell you that right now.

One of the few athletes I dislike is Ronaldo, but that's just because he is such a diva, a complainer, and a cheater. Tennis? Maybe Koellerer, but the guy is so nuts it's tough not to be mildly fascinated by his antics.

Oh, I forgot. Some of the people in the Possum camp (and Possum's own celebrations sometimes) are simply annoying. His dad seems like the biggest jerk, in particular. Again, I love Djoker's attitude in defeat.

Life is complex, usually people have multiple facets in different situations. It's tough to find a 100% goon.

I dislike Ronaldo.... He is the reason (Not Fergie) why I dislike Man U, and Real Madrid...

ABMU....
 

kishnabe

Talk Tennis Guru
If Nadal didn't do his fake MTO's, and excuses. Though Federer makes excuses as well.


I like the fact that Nadal is an asset to the sport, but I hate him because he kicked Federer ass a lot.

Though I like Novak Djokovic even though he beat Federer up a lot as well.

Maybe is due to the playing style that I can accept Djokovic. Nadal can be aggressive it just he never takes the intiative in a point.....he can be so much better. It is annoying to see....and seeing Federer lose to such a style.....it not a happy thing for *******s and Fedfans.

The Soderling, Tsonga and Djokovic losses are appreciatable....because how they took it to Roger.

Hate Nadal style of play, his cheating, excuses, and because he kicks Federer arse in the big stages.
 

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
It's obvious why Fed fans hate Nadal: he's kicked little Roger's *** for a decade. If I were a *******, I wouldn't be too fond of him either.

And, personally, I have nothing against Fed, but I can offer of a few reasons why the average Nadal fan might dislike him: One, he's chubby-chasing fancy boy, and two, he's a crybaby.
True IMO. In my case I would prolly say "resent" rather than "hate". Otherwise, I respect the guy.

However, neither fan-bases make it easier for the other to accept or "warm up" with the constant attacks. Often I think there are certain posters with the deliberate aim to flame and start wars. Then there are those who are hopefully more mature, but who get sucked in by the first lot.

There are about a handful who stay out of mud slinging and name calling, and the rest of us should try to gravitate to that group -- not getting baited, staying with the topic, avoiding silly threads that are personal or damaging.
 

augustobt

Legend
This is all a stupid black legend perpetuated by ******* goons like yourself.

Probably you don't have a lot of education too. Maybe "manners" would be a better word for using in both cases. By education I don't mean by Nadal speaking every kind of language in the world. Nobody needs to do that.

Legend? Come on. Nadal waits almost a minute to put the ball in game. He is always "injuried" when he loses, always is something with him and not an opponent merit. That's education.

My parents taught me that if I'm defeated it's adversaries merits. When I lose some competition I shake my opponent hand and say how good he was, or say that I let him win laughing.

One of the most stupid things that I usually read is when they say that Nadal is "humble". Thats ridiculous! Come on. Look his harm handshake with Rosol in this years Wimbledon.

And I don't want to put in debate things like being coached, for example.
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
It's simply "yeah for my team".

When I first came to this site, I was tired of Fed and had no issue with Nadal. I was more of a Sampras guy (showing my age).

After seeing that many of Nadal's fanboys are snot nosed teens and preteens who excel at being disrespectful on anonymous internet web pages, I learned to appreciate Federer much more. I'm not sure how many actual snot nosed kids make all these pro Nadal anti-Fed posts (it could be one snot nosed basement dwelling loser for all we know), but it only took a few months for me to translate that into wanting Nadal to lose.

I know there are Fed fans who do the same thing, but the sheer shrill punk nature of the average Nadal fan is unprecedented..although some of the Djoker guys crawling out from under rocks are trying hard to catch up.

Nadal has become as easy to hate as Justin Bieber..not because he's a bad guy, but because his fans are so annoying.

:)
 

SwankPeRFection

Hall of Fame
I like Rafa for his cooking ability. I like Fed for his playing style and persona.

In the end for me, it boils down to what type of player I am. If I don't like someone's style of play, I probably won't like watching them play. When I watch tennis, I watch it for both entertainment reasons, but moreso for getting ideas for my own game. If my game doesn't mesh with the style of another player, I can't watch that player and learn from it. It's just the way I work... sorry.

When I was young I used to watch two players on the men's tour. Agassi and Sampras. I couldn't serve and volley like Pete, but liked how he played. Because of that, I used to watch Agassi more and play his style. As I got older, I moved to Fed because I was now able to hit one handed backhands and do more all court play. Eventually it fit because it brought back what I liked about Sampras to something that was new and interesting to me.
 
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zam88

Professional
Because if Nadal didn't exist Fed would have 20+ majors, probably 2-3 calendar slams, and there wouldn't even be a remote DEBATE on who was the GOAT.

there'd be no threads. There would just be Federer, the greatest of all-time and almost no way for anyone to debate anything but that.

Actually it would make it so that there would be almost no conversation, or real reason to watch.

But Fed fans could have just enjoyed watching the goat for years, comfortably and almost never sweating any losses.

If Nadal existed but was just a little worse and that H2H wasn't so poor (especially in slams) i still probably wouldn't root for the guy because i'm not a huge fan of his game.


Frankly i don't like very many player's games other than Roger.. so i probably just won't watch much when he either retires or isn't a real contender anymore.
 

RF20Lennon

Legend
To the OP thats like saying why can you love manchester united and liverpool LOL not going to happen. Heres the deal you stated that you like Federer's game because of grace, elegance and effortless shot making and thats how the game was originally played. When Tennis originally came about in the 1700's it was for Royalty and the "elite" group ( dont judge me yet i havent finished) Federer brings about the same class and grace that the "elite" did back then like thats why people like the stuff he used to wear at wimbledon like the trousers and the blazer and all that. Nadal on the other hand is a more contemporary player who shows the sweat and hard work of SPORTS and how much battle it takes. He groans and moans and sometimes does stuff that is cheating (federer has had his share as well but not nearly as much) so all this groaning and moaning while it shows the spirit of sport is not the way tennis was originally played if you will. Thats why people categorize federer as "Royal" and "Elite" while Nadal is a boring ball pusher. In the end its your opinion you like nadal more now because you like battling and the sporting spirit I like federer because I like beauty better. Its like Rolls Royce vs. Ferrari its possible to like both but not if your a die hard fan of one. Plus Nadal has a put a huge dent in Fed's career (Wimby 2008, Aussie 2009 and the other french opens) without nadal federer wouldve won "THE GRAND SLAM" like 4 times so thats what *******s dont like and *******s defend their idol by defending the cheating and the **** War breaks through. As a tennis fan you can like both but has a player FAN only one
 

smoledman

G.O.A.T.
Because if Nadal didn't exist Fed would have 20+ majors, probably 2-3 calendar slams, and there wouldn't even be a remote DEBATE on who was the GOAT.

there'd be no threads. There would just be Federer, the greatest of all-time and almost no way for anyone to debate anything but that.

Actually it would make it so that there would be almost no conversation, or real reason to watch.

But Fed fans could have just enjoyed watching the goat for years, comfortably and almost never sweating any losses.

If Nadal existed but was just a little worse and that H2H wasn't so poor (especially in slams) i still probably wouldn't root for the guy because i'm not a huge fan of his game.


Frankly i don't like very many player's games other than Roger.. so i probably just won't watch much when he either retires or isn't a real contender anymore.

I really do dislike Nadal, but you are correct in that if Nadal didn't exist Federer would have won 20+ slams already and have made an utter mockery of the sport. Ironically, Nadal helped to keep tennis interesting and keep Roger humble.
 

Sim

Semi-Pro
I'm a fan of both players and their games. Even though their games are like polar opposites, I enjoy both.
Fed for his shotmaking that makes tennis look easy.
Nadal for his amazing retrieval ability.

I understand why people may like one and dislike the other, but I don't understand the 'hate' that exists on these boards. It's out of hand really. :?
 

Backbored

Hall of Fame
For me it’s not that they don’t like xyz they hate xyz. Also they show more passion for the one(s) they hate than the one(s) they like.
 

zam88

Professional
I really do dislike Nadal, but you are correct in that if Nadal didn't exist Federer would have won 20+ slams already and have made an utter mockery of the sport. Ironically, Nadal helped to keep tennis interesting and keep Roger humble.


also ironically without Nadal Federer may already have retired... or he may not have continued working on his game. What motivation would there have been after 20 slams and 340 consecutive weeks at #1.

not to mention the sport probably would've suffered with a guy THAT dominant. it is cool at first, then gets old.

If Jordan hadn't "retired" in '93 like he did and the Bulls ring off like 5 straight.. well at the end of that people would've probably stopped watching.

dominance is fun to an extent, then it turns into boredom.
 

Mainad

Bionic Poster
Why can't people like both Federer and Nadal?

I like them both although Federer has always been a personal favourite of mine for many years, long before Nadal came on the scene.

Both play great tennis, both are great champions, both have dominated the tour for respective periods, both seem nice guys especially off the court and neither one has done me any personal harm, so what's not to like about either of them?
 

tennisaddict

Bionic Poster
It is difficult to like cheaters / gamesmanship tricks

Fed unlike his peers

- does not take MTO in every match he is in trouble

- will not try to get the crowd support when being down match point (USO 2011 semis) and distract opponent.

He is a sore loser , no doubt. But that is after the game.

ZERO tricks to cheat on the court. And that is the reason Fed fans identify more with players like Tsonga.

If you start a poll which player Fed fans like most other than Fed, you would find that honest players would be on the top.
 
I think the rabid fanbases have a lot to do with this.

In the Federer camp you've got some people who consistently making excuses, a lot of hating on Nadal, and being generally asshat-ish when it comes to Fed.

In the Nadal camp, you've got some people who consistently make excuses, a lot of hating on Fed, a lot of crap about injuries, age, olympic gold and weak eras. Essentially, more asshattedness when it comes to Rafa.

I like Nadal, I respect his game and what he brings to tennis, but he's not my favorite guy to watch. Fed has always been my favorite player, and there are plenty of other players I'd rather watch than Rafa. That said, I always try to watch Rafa's matches, I even watched the FO 2010 and Wimby 2010 finals, even though they were foregone conclusions and I had little invested in either player.

I just get tired of the **** wars.
 
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