"Federer & Nadal out there with a smile on their face", "a philanthropic tie or rally for peace"- Tennis journalist on Spaniard's post-retirement life
The absence of a retired Roger Federer and an injured Rafael Nadal marked a major shift on the ATP Tour this year.
The two men, along with Novak Djokovic, have dominated the discourse of men's tennis for a good couple of decades. That said, a change of guard was to come about sooner or later.
While Rafael Nadal is set to make a comeback to competition next year, it is unclear as to how long he intends to keep competing. It is in this backdrop that observers often discuss what the future looks like.
As per sports journalist Jon Wertheim, a farewell match between Nadal and Federer, whose rivalry spanned 15 years and 40 matches, is definitely in the offing. The American said the two may at some point decide to compete in an exhibition match during the latest episode of the Match Point Canada podcast.
"Sure, I can see them going out there with a smile on their face," Jon Wertheim said. "And I don't think this would be, you know, fierce competition."
"You know, no one's gonna be getting pointepenalties, arguing line calls," he added.
Wertheim, however, was quick to mark his words with an asterisk. He said that for such a tie to materialise, there will need to be a greater purpose like a befitting charity or a larger rally for peace event.
The American said both Federer and Nadal will have other things to prioritise post-retirement, including their families. So it is unlikely for them to put together a match for a commercial intent alone.
"I mean, I could see it if on a couple of with conditions," Jon Wertheim said. "But I think there were probably have to be some sort of greater purpose being served. Whether it's a, you know, a philanthropic tie or a rally for peace kind of thing."
"I don't think they would do it strictly as commerce as a money making event," he continued. "It's, you know, I, I think physically there's a real issue here and I think certainly with Federer there is a real sense of, you know, I've got kids and I want to roll around with kids and grandkids and I need to think about my body."
Tennis analyst recalls Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal's Match for Africa
Jon Wertheim also reflected on the Match for Africa exhibition between the legendary duo that raised money for the Roger Federer Foundation in the same interview.
Wertheim recalled it as one of the best-attended sporting events in history. He added that it served the larger purpose of raising money for charity as well as bringing tennis to Africa.
"I mean even the Match for Africa from before, you guys remember that, right?" Jon said. "Right before the pandemic in South Africa, I think it was one of the best attended sporting events."
"It raised all sorts of money for charity and brought tennis to South Africa, which of course is where Roger's mom is from. I mean, I think if Rafael and Roger had some sort of greater purpose? Sure, I could see them doing it."
Nadal leads Federer in the overall head-to-head with a 26-14 margin. The duo last faced-off in the semifinals of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, with the Swiss winning 7–6(3), 1–6, 6–3, 6–4.