What makes the Nadal-Federer rivalry one without an equal

It was laidback parenting that made the two play simply for the joy of being the best they can be

When Rafael Nadal was a teenager, he was scolded by his uncle and coach Toni Nadal for lazily forcing his foot into a new pair of sneakers instead of untying the laces. Nadal had recently caught the eye of Nike, which was sponsoring his sports kit. Toni told his nephew he was showing disrespect for the factory workers who had made them. 

A few years earlier, the teenaged Roger Federer had been on the receiving end of a similar lecture from his parents. Federer had celebrated winning the world junior championships, the Orange Bowl in Florida, by dyeing his hair blonde.