The feat Roger Federer took 13 years to achieve against Rafael Nadal which he finally managed at Indian Wells

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Roger Federer’s rivalry with Rafael Nadal was arguably the most captivating and iconic in tennis history.

The two legends clashed 40 times on the ATP Tour, with the Spaniard ultimately coming out on top in the head-to-head 24-16.

For the majority of their careers, the results in their rivalry largely went the way of Nadal, who won 23 of their first 33 meetings.

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Later on in his playing days, however, Federer changed his game and went on a winning streak against the King of Clay.

Six of their last seven bouts were won by the Swiss, one of which featured a dominant display at the 2017 Indian Wells Open.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal during doubles match at the 2022 Laver Cup.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup

Roger Federer’s victory over Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells in 2017

In ‘Tennis Paradise’ that year, Federer was seeded ninth and met fifth seed Nadal in the fourth round of the Masters tournament.

Federer had yet to drop a set in his opening two matches, despite being forced to two tiebreaks in his second-round showdown with Steve Johnson.

He had won his previous two meetings with Nadal, having defeated him in the 2015 Basel final and the Australian Open final earlier that season.

This time around, Federer earned his most convincing victory over Nadal in years, triumphing over his longtime rival in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, with the match lasting just 68 minutes.

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The Maestro’s result marked the first time in his career that he had overcome Nadal three times in a row.

From there, Federer went on to win the Indian Wells Open for a fifth time, winning the tournament without dropping a set.

It was his fifth Indian Wells title, 25th Masters crown, and 90th tour-level trophy overall.

Roger Federer celebrates after winning Indian Wells in 2017
Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

How Roger Federer reacted to beating Rafael Nadal in 2017

As per the ATP Tour website, Federer said after his win: “It’s a nice feeling to win the last three, I can tell you that.

“But most importantly, I won Australia. That was big for me. On the comeback, I look back at that and think that was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced in my career.

“Basel was special, too, for many reasons, because I used to be a ballboy there. After the Australian hype, to play here in America right away, all of them are very special.

“All the matches that we have played are unique in many ways for both of us, winning or losing. So I take it.”

Federer went on to win his next two meetings with Nadal that year in the final of both the Miami Open and the Shanghai Masters.

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