"Roger Federer's position is easy: I am a gentleman, others get burned"- When Rafael Nadal criticized Swiss icon for not supporting his ATP colleagues

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer once got into a war of words over the Swiss' apparent lack of support for his fellow pros on the ATP Tour, culminating in Nadal accusing him of courting the image of a "gentleman" while leaving the others hanging out to dry.

The 2011 season saw Nadal, Novak Djokovic and many professionals on the men's tour suffer physically, especially towards the end of the year. A lighter schedule, therefore, was thought of as the need of the hour, with revelations emerging that some players were even in favor of going on strike.

Federer was the President of the ATP Players' Council at the time, and it was the reason why Nadal placed the blame on the 20-time Grand Slam champion. Infuriated by the Swiss toeing the line on the matter, Rafael Nadal came out with strong words, saying that just because Federer was physically privileged, he should not turn a blind eye to the sufferings of others.

"I disagree with him. His [position] is easy: do not say anything, all positive, I am a 'gentleman', others get burned. To finish your career with pain in all areas of your body is not positive. He finishes his career as fresh as a daisy because he is physically privileged, but neither Murray nor Novak Djokovic and I are fresh as a daisy," Nadal said to the press during the 2012 Australian Open.

The comments, however, led to huge uproar, and Rafael Nadal quickly called for peace, stating that he had always had a fantastic relationship with the Swiss maestro and that "crazy histories" should not be created by the media based on one remark.

"I always had fantastic relationship with Roger. I still have fantastic relationship with Roger. That's what should be, in my opinion. Don't create crazy histories about what I said yesterday, please. Probably I am wrong telling that to you, especially because these things can stay, must stay in the locker room," Nadal said.

Rafael Nadal refused to comment further on the matter: "You can try hard but I'm gonna talk about tennis"

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Disappointed by the furore it created, Rafael Nadal refused to entertain further discussion on the matter, saying that he would refrain from speaking about the topic for the rest of the tournament.

The Spaniard made it clear that he had "talked too much" in the first instance and that he would limit himself to talking just about the tennis for the remainder of the time he spent in Melbourne.

I do not talk anymore. During the two weeks, you can try very hard to asking me a lot of things. Yesterday, you know, I started, and I say I don't want to talk anymore about this."

"Finally I talked too much – as usual. That's not gonna happen again. I advise all of you. You can try hard, but I gonna talk about tennis. If I am here two weeks, if I am here two days. You are only interested in that, not the tennis," Nadal said.

The 2012 Australian Open ended with Federer losing to Nadal in the semifinals, following which the Spaniard and Novak Djokovic played out one of the most ferocious battles in men's tennis history before Djokovic emerged victorious in five sets.