Federer and Nadal: Intense rivalry and respect

They say it's lonely at the top, and that's certainly true in the golf world, where Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson generally go their separate ways and seem awkward in each other's presence. But Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the once and current kings of tennis, are in a very different place.

They not only respect each other as opponents, but they have developed a friendship in spite of the battles they have fought all over the globe. The fact that Nadal finally caught and surpassed Federer for the No. 1 ranking earlier this year hasn't changed anything between them on a personal level.

"He's been my rival for almost five years now, so we're a very healthy rivalry," Federer said Saturday at the National Tennis Center, where the U.S. Open begins tomorrow. "We chat in the locker rooms, just hang out sometimes. It's been nice to have a rival like 'Rafa,' who has been so respectful.

"People seem to love it. It's one of the biggest rivalries we have in all of sports, and I'm happy it's been on a fair basis. It would be a bit of a pain if it weren't like that."

Throughout the course of a rivalry that one day might rank as the greatest in tennis history, Federer and Nadal never have faced each other in the U.S. Open. If the seeds hold, No. 1 Nadal would meet No. 2 Federer in this year's final, but the Open also represents the only hole on the Grand Slam resume of Nadal, who has lost in the semifinals the past two years.

"I think it would be great," said Federer, who won the Australian Open this year for a record 16th major title. "We've played in all the other majors. Obviously, him having won the last two , it's interesting to see if he could win three this year or not. Being world No. 1, that's interesting, too, for him now . . . I'd love to play him.''

The feeling is mutual for Nadal if he can adjust to Arthur Ashe Stadium's hardcourt as well as he does to the grass at Wimbledon.

"I think I am playing better and better in this tournament, but the center court is difficult to play," Nadal said. "[It] is a lot windy always, more wind than the rest of the Grand Slams. When you are against the wind, it seems like you are not moving the ball. But I did well in the semifinals years. Why not?"

If he reaches the final, Nadal said meeting Federer would be special. "Roger and me understand exactly what happen outside the court and what happen inside the court," Nadal said. "You win the matches inside the court; you fight all inside the court. But when the match is done, is finished. We understand that it's only a game. That's not the more important thing of this life, no?"

Someone who apparently hasn't seen Nadal vs. Federer wondered if friendship might neutralize Nadal's killer instinct. "I don't have this problem, no," Nadal said to much laughter.