On the court, they are enemies ready to tear each other apart. Outside of it, they sit in the same restaurant and laugh at shared jokes. Big sports are full of examples when fierce competition turns into deep mutual respect, and sometimes even into true 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, combative Spaniard. Their confrontation has 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 immense pressure on each other. When Lindsey crashed on the track, Til flew to the hospital first. Their friendship grew into something more, although the couple eventually split up. But the example of respect remained in history. Bubka and Sergienko: rivals with high poles Sergey Bubka and Rodion Gataulin (and other competitors) constantly pushed each other's elbows in pole vault competitions. But outside the sector Bubka (USSR) and his long-time opponent (such as Okert) always communicated warmly. They traveled together on tours, 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 classic "sports", but bodybuilding, but the example is brilliant. Arnold and Franco were the best of friends, they lived together in an apartment ... Read more