Roger Federer has hailed Rafael Nadal for confounding his critics and becoming world No 1 again.
Nadal started the year with injury concerns but responded by reaching the Australian Open final, where he was beaten by Novak Djokovic.
By his own admission, Nadal became dejected in the spring as he dealt with more injuries but once again hit back in sensational fashion.
Between Indian Wells in March and the Paris Masters, Nadal reached the semi-finals or final in every tournament, winning in the Italian Open, French Open, Rogers Cup and US Open.
And it was that astonishing form which helped the 33-year-old to leapfrog Djokovic as No 1 in the world rankings and finish the season as year-end No 1.
Nadal was helped to become year-end No 1 at the ATP Finals last week when Federer beat Djokovic.
It is a testament to Nadal’s longevity that he was able to finish the year as No 1, 11 years after the first time he reached that milestone, especially with all the injuries he has had.
Federer is currently on a tour of North and South America and was asked about his relationship with Nadal.
And the Swiss star did not hold back in his praise for the Spaniard.
Federer told Argentine sports channel TyC Sports: “He’s a good guy. He’s a great player.
“Who would have thought he was going to be world No 1 again this year after being No 1 for the first time 11 years ago?
“All the people were saying he is going to be injured, not make it, not going to be healthy at one point, his game is too brutal.
“But he found a way and he’s had another incredible season with two Grand Slam wins this year.
“He’s at 19 Grand Slams now. I really enjoyed sharing the court with him at Laver Cup twice.
“I learned a lot from him, he is a great champion, is great for the game and I’m happy we’ve had the matches and battles that we had, particularly at Wimbledon, French Open, even in Australia.
“We’ve had some massive matches and he’s going to go down as maybe the greatest players of all time, he’s that good of course.”
