According to his longtime agent, Roger Federer may “consider” facing Rafael Nadal in a special exhibition match.
Two years have passed since Federer formally announced his retirement from tennis. At the 2022 Laver Cup in London, he lost a doubles match against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe with Rafael Nadal.
Since then, the 20-time Grand Slam champion has avoided participating in any kind of exhibition match on the court in favor of managing the Laver Cup behind the scenes.
He took center stage at the Berlin event this week, but when it comes to tennis, is it possible that we’ll see him take on his most enduring opponent sooner rather than later?
In 2007, Federer and Rafael Nadal engaged in a well-known “Battle of Surfaces” between clay and grass courts. Meanwhile, in 2020, the charity “Match for Africa” broke the record for the greatest tennis attendance in history.
That match drew a crowd of over 51,000 spectators, but if rumors of a special match at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid materialize, that record may be surpassed.
Tony Godsick, Federer’s longtime agent who assists the Swiss in managing the Laver Cup, told Marca that supporters shouldn’t rule out the idea.
“As long as he doesn’t feel physically well, Roger hasn’t wanted to play another match since he retired,” he stated.
“The record of spectators they defeated in South Africa springs to mind. We enjoy taking on large tasks. Roger will undoubtedly take that into consideration if there is a way to overcome that one day.
“They enjoy working together, and I enjoy dealing with Carlos Costa [Nadal’s agent].” My recollections are excellent. In Mallorca, we performed the half-grass, half-earth show. Nothing is off the table for the future.
Though a lot may ultimately depend on Nadal, all eyes will be on any prospective announcement, whenever it comes to pass.
Although the Spaniard has not yet announced his formal retirement date, it is clear that his career is coming to an end. He may decide to arrange this match as a farewell or wait till he officially retires.
One of the most well-known rivalries in tennis history, Federer vs. Nadal helped revitalize the men’s game in the middle of the 2000s and early 2010s.
The two players faced off 40 times over a 15-year period, with Nadal winning the first encounter at the Miami Open in 2004 and the Swiss winning the last match at Wimbledon in 2019.