“One of the Great Icons”: Rafael Nadal Wishes to See Roger Federer Back on the Tour Soon

While tennis has been missing the presence of its fans cheering from the stadiums, another big miss these days is the level of interest that Roger Federer carries with himself on the court. Along with the fans, there are also players who wish to see Federer return to the court soon. One of them is Federer’s great rival and good friend, Rafael Nadal.

Nadal is chasing his 13th French Open title, which would also give him his 20th Grand Slam title and tie him with Federer on the all-time list. They are in the middle of one of the biggest battles in the sport.

Their battle has had no effect on the level of respect the two tennis superstars share. At the French Open 2020, Nadal said that he had been in constant touch with Federer and was positive about Federer’s successful return from his double knee surgery. “I know he is better and I hope he will return as soon as possible. All the time you spend outside is bad,” Nadal said.

Rafael Nadal highlights Roger Federer’s importance

The Spaniard went on to highlight Federer’s importance to the sport. “We have to be clear and know that we will no longer have 10 years of Federer. He is one of the great icons of our sport and he is good for everyone who is on the court,” Nadal said of the 39-year-old Federer.

“I have spoken to him during the past few months, I would say that we have spoken a lot. We spoke for different things that have been happening this year. We talked about work and also on a personal level, to find out how our lives are in these times,” Nadal continued.

(All quotes have been translated via Google translate)

The coronavirus pandemic, coupled with Federer’s injury, has robbed tennis fans of the on-court ‘Fedal’ rivalry. However, the two champions took part in a live social media chat during the lockdown, giving fans something to cheer about.

Read more – Rafael Nadal Joins Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to Lockout Another Grand Slam Record