Roger Federer may have “graduated” from tennis almost three years ago. His fiercest rival, Rafael Nadal, will clock his first anniversary later this year in November. The duo have shared one of the most celebrated rivalries on court for over a decade, and the Swiss maestro is now closing in on a reunion for the fans.
Federer, 44, who has attempted to keep his athletic levels and body in check as much as possible since his emotional farewell in 2022, has continued to tease fans with brief, occasional appearances through social media clips. However, the excitement for fans reached new heights when Federer made a serious proposal for a tour return alongside Nadal, along with other retired stars.
Speaking of a potential on-court comeback on NBC ahead of the Laver Cup, co-founded by him, Federer said: “Yes, why not? I love Rafa. I played four hours of tennis in San Francisco and an hour and a half in Los Angeles the other day. I’m playing a lot to stay in shape. I know Rafa is also open to playing tennis.”
A ‘Fedal’ tour?
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has already zeroed in on a name for the tour, too, even as it may carry no novelty but nostalgia.
“A senior’s circuit sounds terrible (laughs), but maybe we could create something like that, the ‘Fedal’ tour, it would be cool,” he added. Federer said that the creation of the Laver Cup was rooted on a similar philosophy.
“One of the reasons I started the Laver Cup was to celebrate the legends of the sport,” he answered. “We already had a veterans’ tournament, called the Champions Tour, but I’m sure there’s a lot of appetite to see past champions. I could look into that for sure.”
Discussions on with Nadal
In a recent interview with the Tennis Channel, Roger Federer’s longtime agent, Tony Godsick, revealed that discussions are in progress for a new “senior-style” tennis tour. The tour would feature recently retired stars like Federer and Rafael Nadal. Godsick, who also chairs the Laver Cup, mentioned the exciting possibility.
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“I’ve been pressuring him a little bit, saying, ‘Come on, people want to see you play again. You can do a few senior events,’” he added. Godsick, however, added that Federer hadn’t quite hit the physical conditioning required to make a full-fledged comeback as yet.
“We’ve had some talks with Rafa about organising a tour together. Roger just wanted to make sure his knee was in good shape — he didn’t want to be left totally broken after his career, so he’s taken some time. He’s not quite there yet, but he’s spending a lot of time in the gym.”
