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Tennis fans may yet get to see more epic matches between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal after the Spaniard dropped a hint over his future career plans. After persistent knee problems, Federer bid an emotional farewell to the sport at the Laver Cup in September, teaming up with his old rival one final time to play the American duo of Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock.
There was to be no fairytale finish as the legendary pair were beaten in a thrilling tie break decider, and both Federer and Nadal were in tears afterwards as the Swiss maestro delivered an emotional speech on the microphone. But despite vowing to never make a professional comeback, the 41-year-old has expressed a desire to play exhibition matches if his body allows.
In contrary, Nadal will head into the first Grand Slam of 2023 at the Australian Open as the defending champion. He’ll also be looking to retain his French Open title at Roland Garros in May, along with his status as the most successful Slam player of all time with 22 wins.
However, despite his 2022 success, the ‘King of Clay’ was also plagued by persistent injury problems, and had to withdraw from his Wimbledon semi-final with Nick Kyrgios due to an abdominal muscle problem. The 36-year-old also needed regular injections for the foot problem that has previously curtailed his 2021 campaign prematurely.
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Nadal is currently travelling with Casper Ruud in South America in a bid to promote tennis in the region. And now he’s given a sighter into his post-career plans, seemingly keen to embark on a similar venture with Federer: “We have lived a very nice rivalry and I hope that we can do a joint tour in which we play against each other in places that could not enjoy our history,” he said via Puntodebreak.
For his part, Federer has already outlined similar intentions, telling reporters: “I want to go and play in places I’ve never been and thank the fans who have supported me throughout my career, that’s all I want. My intention is also to organise exhibitions but it is still too early, unfortunately.”
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Any future clashes though, will be dependent on Federer receiving medical clearance. He’s warned: “The doctors have advised me to be cautious and to wait a few months to see how the situation develops. This goes not only for tennis but also for other sports that I would like to play, but I have to take it easy.”
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Rafa Nadal drops hint that Roger Federer will be the source for prolonging tennis career – Express
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