I didn’t realize until this moment and throughout that whole evening (when) you can just see how close they were.”įederer (left) and Nadal watch a video montage after their doubles match at the Laver Cup. “But at the same time, I don’t think any of us really understood quite how close they were. They always win sportsmanship awards and things like that. “They value family a lot, they value respect. “Away from the court, I think they (Federer and Nadal) share very, very similar values and morals,” says Ling. Playing alongside Nadal, he lost his doubles match against Americans Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe on the first day of the tournament, then was on the sidelines for the next two days as Team Europe went down 13-8 against Team World.īut the images that will likely come to define Federer’s swansong are those of him and Nadal – rivals for more than 15 years with 42 grand slam titles between them – struggling to keep their emotions in check. The Laver Cup provided an opportunity to pay tribute to Federer’s glittering tennis career, even though results didn’t go in his favor. Ella Ling/Shutterstock/Shutterstock/Ella Ling/Shutterstock Ling's photo of Federer (left) and Nadal holding hands during the Laver Cup has proved hugely popular among tennis fans. “I would have loved to have an iconic picture, but I never imagined that I would actually get one.” “I just wanted to capture an image that really summed up the feeling of the night, but also a moment in history when he is finally playing his last match and he’s retired,” she adds. The image in question – a shot of Federer’s hand on top of Nadal’s as Ellie Goulding performs “Still Falling For You” during the Laver Cup – has garnered widespread attention, capturing a scene unlike any other Ling has witnessed on a tennis court. “It was only when I got back to my computer and I downloaded everything that I found that shot and I thought: ‘Wow, that’s the one I want to share with everybody,” Ling, who follows the men’s and women’s tennis tours around the world, told CNN Sport. In front of her at London’s O2 Arena were Federer and Nadal – the Swiss star’s long-time friend and rival – sat hand-in-hand while sobbing uncontrollably.Īs the scene following Federer’s final match unfolded, Ling started to click away on her camera and hoped for the best. Poised on the side of the court with her camera at the ready, photographer Ella Ling expected Federer’s farewell from tennis to be charged with emotion – though when the moment arrived, the outpouring of tears and adulation caught her by surprise. It was a moment in time – as brief as half a second – that captured the intensity of the relationship and rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
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