💬 Roger Federer once openly admitted his frustration over not being able to process defeat in private after suffering a painful loss to his great rival Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open. 🎾The Swiss legend revealed how the spotlight and expectations made it difficult to “lick his wounds” away from public view following such high-profile battles.

🎾 Roger Federer had a golden chance to draw level with Pete Sampras’ iconic record of 14 Grand Slam titles at the 2009 Australian Open, where he faced long-time rival Rafael Nadal in the final.The Swiss maestro had already lifted the Melbourne trophy three times, while Nadal was still chasing his first Australian Open crown at the time — setting the stage for an unforgettable showdown. 👀🔥

🔥 After an epic 4-hour, 9-minute marathon, it was Rafael Nadal who emerged victorious, reaching a historic milestone by capturing his first-ever Australian Open title 🏆The Spaniard outlasted Roger Federer in a legendary five-set final, winning 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3 in one of the greatest Grand Slam battles ever witnessed. 🎾✨

💔 In his post-match press conference, a visibly heartbroken Roger Federer opened up about the loss, admitting that it wasn’t the missed chance at a historic 14th Grand Slam that hurt the most.Instead, he revealed how the wave of shock, sadness and disappointment made the defeat especially difficult to process once the emotions truly set in. 🎾

“The problem is you can’t go in the locker room and just take it easy and take a cold shower. You can’t. You know, you’re stuck out there. It’s the worst feeling, you know. So, I don’t know, it’s rough,” he added.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have met at the Australian Open on four occasions

🔥 Rafael Nadal dominated his early Australian Open battles against Roger Federer, beginning with their first-ever Melbourne clash in the unforgettable 2009 final, where the Spaniard prevailed 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3.He followed it up with another gritty win in the 2012 semifinals, edging Federer 6-7(5), 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-4, before extending his winning run at the event in the 2014 semifinals, sealing a spot in the final with a 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-3 victory. 🎾👑