"I can't put myself in league of Rafael Nadal, he was one of the best teenagers ever besides Bjorn Borg" - When Roger Federer drew comparison to rival

Roger Federer once humbly admitted that he couldn't compare his early achievements with arch-rival Rafael Nadal's remarkable talent and success as a teenager.

Federer and Nadal entered the 2014 Wimbledon Championships as the fourth and second seeds, respectively. While the Spaniard crashed out of the Major in the fourth round after suffering a shock upset to Nick Kyrgios, the Swiss reached the final and took on Novak Djokovic in a blockbuster clash. The Serb triumphed over the Swiss in the summit clash, securing a hard-fought 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4 win to clinch his second Wimbledon title.

In this era of men's tennis, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Andy Murray had separated themselves from the competition, collectively becoming known as the 'Big 4' due to their unmatched dominance on tour.

Following his loss to Djokovic in the 2014 Wimbledon final, Roger Federer was asked about how the up-and-coming players compared to the 'Big 4.' In response, he emphasized a significant difference, pointing out that the four of them had made breakthroughs on tour much earlier in their careers.

However, the Swiss also conceded that he couldn't compare his own early accomplishments with those of Rafael Nadal, recognizing the Spaniard as one of the sport's best teen prodigies, alongside tennis legend Bjorn Borg.

"We all made the breakthrough much earlier than most of the guys. Not just a match here or there. I mean, I can't put myself in the league of Rafa because he was one of the best teenagers we ever had besides Bjorn Borg. I wasn't that guy. I was, I guess, better at 21, 22 or 20. That's when I started to make my rise," he said in the post-match press conference.

Despite acknowledging the younger generation as "exciting," Federer reiterated that they couldn't match the level of mastery displayed by Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray at a similar stage in their careers.

"So there's not that many young guys. There's really only one teenager in the top 100 and we wish we had more. The other guys we're talking about are all 22, 23 and have been already on tour for five years," he said.

"Nevertheless, it's exciting. But you cannot compare them to Rafa, Novak, or Murray, who were incredibly good already at a young age," he added.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer faced each other four times at the Wimbledon Championships

Day Eleven: The Championships - Wimbledon 2019

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal locked horns in 14 matches at Grand Slam events, with the Spaniard enjoying a 10-4 winning record in these meetings. Four of their 14 matchups at the Majors took place at the Wimbledon Championships.

Their first encounter at SW19 occurred in the 2006 Wimbledon final, where the Swiss legend claimed a 6-0, 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 6-3 victory to claim his fourth consecutive title at the grasscourt Major.

In 2007, in a rematch of the previous year's final, the four-time defending champion defeated the Spaniard 7-6(7), 4-6, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-2. Nadal then flipped the script in the 2008 final, securing a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 over the Swiss legend.

Their final encounter at the grasscourt Major took place in the 2019 semifinals, where Roger Federer defeated the Spaniard 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 en route to his runner-up finish.