Federer and Nadal: The Friendly Rivalry That Works

(Aug. 25) -- There's a certain kind of fan who resents modern professional athletes, not because of the vast amounts of money they make, but because they don't seem to hate their rivals.

Take "The Decision" for example. Soon after LeBron James announced his decision to join up with fellow stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, retired players such as Magic Johnson said they would have never made such a move. Johnson said he spent his time thinking of how he could beat Larry Bird, not join forces with him. These days, NBA stars are more likely to embrace on the court than throw a malicious elbow.

Tennis, a one-on-one sport with greater rivalry potential, has undergone a similar evolution. McEnroe hated Connors and vice versa. The same went for Lendl and McEnroe. The thinly disguised ill will behind Sampras' and Agassi's rivalry even recently spilled out in an exhibition match held to raise funds for Haiti.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have emerged as this generation's greatest rivalry in tennis, perhaps in all of modern professional sports. They've given us the best match in tennis history, the 2008 Wimbledon final, in which Nadal prevailed in five long sets. But the two not only don't hate each other, they're friends. Check out this video of the two filming an advertisement.

They're giggling and ribbing each other like school boys. (Ed aside: Also, check out how much more developed Federer's right arm is than his left; it's a common feature of serious tennis players. The difference in Rafa's arms is not as noticeable, since he's ambidextrous.)

I can't imagine McEnroe and Connors even sitting in such close proximity, let alone enjoying each other's company. And given that the Federer-Nadal friendship has not diminished the quality of their tennis when they take the court -- unlike what happens when the Williams sisters meet, and sisterly emotions lower their level of play -- it's hard to believe the sport would be better off if they liked each other less.