Roger Federer and Tiger Woods are two names synonymous with greatness. The former found glory on the tennis court, and the latter achieved unparalleled success on the golf course. The duo was part of several brand endorsement deals together, but it appears they no longer speak to each other.
At the peak of their respective careers, fans and pundits compared the two but it was all done in good spirits. Gillette and Nike were two of the biggest brands to sign both players and they appeared in advertisements together as well. Things took a sudden turn for the worse when the scandal over Woods’ affairs broke out.
In the fallout that ensued, Gillette dropped Woods but Nike stood by him. This is when Woods apparently stopped speaking to Federer.
So did their friendship fall apart with a million-dollar endorsement?
In an interview, Federer revealed that when the extra-marital affair fiasco came to light, Woods broke off all contact. “Yeah, once we used to see each other time-to-time for the Gillette (ad) campaign. Even Nike. But that was rare” said the Swiss ace. “He disappeared and changed his number” Federer revealed.
“It was more about wishing good luck. Anyway, I am happy that he has come back stronger again. He is doing well again and plays well. I would love to hear from him again. We shared some great memories. He supported me a lot. We enjoyed ourselves with the fight for other Grand Slams.”
Since the affairs debacle, the PGA tour champion has made a surprising comeback to the game, winning the Master’s Tournament in 2019. Federer’s last Grand Slam came in 2018 when he won the Australian Open. The tennis maestro has since hung up his racket.
While things were looking to be on the upswing for the PGA star, he met with an unfortunate accident in 2021, which sidelined his career. He overturned his SUV and was lucky enough to come away only with injuries to his leg.
Nike used to play up their rivalry, with Woods narrating old footage of Federer. “My name is Tiger Woods, I have 12 majors and counting, so keep it up bud.” The situation has reversed since then, with Federer retiring with 20 major titles, while Tiger Woods has 15, and his career is still up in the air.
