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LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal of Team Europe interact during the doubles match between Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe of Team World and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal of Team Europe during Day One of the Laver Cup at The O2 Arena on September 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
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LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal of Team Europe interact during the doubles match between Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe of Team World and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal of Team Europe during Day One of the Laver Cup at The O2 Arena on September 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
The tennis world has been waiting to know about the return of Rafael Nadal. The Spanish legend has been away from action for almost the entire 2023 season owing to injuries. He last played at the Australian Open earlier this year where he lost in the second round. However, of late, he has been teasing about his comeback early next year. As Nadal announced his comeback tournament, let’s look at how Roger Federer made a comeback in 2017.
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Earlier today, the 22-time Grand Slam champion revealed his comeback tournament. The Spanish legend will return to action in Brisbane which will serve as a warmup tournament for the Australian Open. However, Federer did it differently in 2017.
Comparing the comeback of Rafael Nadal to Roger Federer
In 2016, Roger Federer missed the latter half of the season due to knee surgery earlier that year. The Swiss maestro required more time for rehabilitation and hence sat out of that part of the season. Subsequently, he made a comeback the following year.
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28. Noventi Open, ATP, Tennis Herren 500, Tennis Herren Halle Westf., 16.6.2021 Roger Federer SUI – 28. Noventi Open, ATP 500, Tennis Herren, 16.6.2021, Halle Westf. OWL Arena, Deutschland, *** 28 Noventi Open, ATP 500, Tennis Men Halle Westf , 16 6 2021 Roger Federer SUI 28 Noventi Open, ATP 500, Tennis Men, 16 6 2021, Halle Westf OWL Arena , Germany, Copyright: xBEAUTIFULxSPORTS/M.Schulzx
Federer decided not to play in the warmup tournaments and made a comeback directly at the Australian Open. The Swiss maestro produced his best on his comeback, winning the 2017 Australian Open. He defeated Nadal in the summit clash to clinch the title.
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On the other hand, Rafael Nadal is opting to play in Brisbane before the first Grand Slam tournament of the season. Despite this, it will be difficult for Nadal to emulate Federer’s 2017 feat as he hasn’t played for almost a year now. Nonetheless, Nadal’s recent announcement made his fans excited about the next tennis season.
What did Rafael Nadal say about his comeback?
The former World Number 1 finally broke his silence about his much-awaited comeback. While he has been hinting about his return for quite some time now, Nadal finally made a massive revelation earlier today.
Talking about this, Nadal said, “I am going to work hard to finish my career in the right way. Hello everyone, after a year away from competition, it’s time to come back. It will be in Brisbane, the first week of January. I’ll see you there.”
It’ll be interesting to see Nadal in action once again after months. Can he make a strong comeback next year? Let us know your views in the comments below.
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