On the court, they are enemies ready to tear each other apart. Outside of it, they sit in the same restaurant and laugh at the same jokes. Big sports are full of examples where fierce competition turns into deep mutual respect, and sometimes even into real friendship. We tell you about the most striking such pairs.

Federer and Nadal: inseparable rivals

This is a classic. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have faced each other 40 times in their careers. They are poles apart: one is an elegant Swiss "maestro," the other is an athletic, battle-ready Spaniard. Their confrontation defined an entire era in tennis. But off the court, they have always been true friends. Rafael came to support Roger in the final of the Davis Cup, and Roger cried when Rafael announced the end of his career. They created a unique project (the Davis Cup) and raised children who also became friends.

Lindsey Vonn and Til Schweiger

Love and sports history. The famous American skier Lindsey Vonn and the German footballer Til Schweiger were stars in their respective sports. They did not compete against each other, but they knew about the colossal burden on each other. When Lindsey crashed on the track, Til was the first to fly to the hospital. Their friendship turned into something more, although the couple eventually split up. But the example of respect remained in history.

Bubka and Sergienko: rivals with high poles

Sergei Bubka and Rodion Gataullin (and other competitors) constantly elbow each other on pole vault competitions. But outside the sector, Bubka (USSR) and his long-time opponent (for example, Okert) always communicated warmly. They traveled on tours together, helped each other with advice. This is an example of how athletes of the highest level do not wish each other harm, even when the stakes are high.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbo

This is not a classic "sport," but bodybuilding, but the example is brilliant. Arnold and Franco were the best of friends, they shared an apartment in Munich, but they went on stage and fought for the "Mr. Olympia" title. In one interview, Arnold said that it was Franco who pushed him, made him train harder. At the same time, they never argued over wins and losses.

Lada Dance and Irina Slutskaya (rhythmic gymnastics)

Competition in rhythmic gymnastics is one of the most fierce. But many gymnasts who measured their strength on the mat remained friends outside of competitions. Figure skaters Tatiana Navka and Elena Berezhnaya, for example, often communicated and supported each other after the end of their careers.

Sports is competition, but it also brings amazing human connections.

Permanent link to this publication: