"I think Roger Federer will come back quite well" - Rafael Nadal
Roger Federer has been away from the tennis court for close to a year now, as he continues undergoing rehabilitation for his knee injury. However, his long-time rival Rafael Nadal has been in touch with him on a regular basis, and the Spaniard is confident that Federer will make a strong return to the tour next year.
While speaking to David Broncano for the latter’s show titled ‘La resistancia’, Rafael Nadal opened up on several topics. Among them was the physical state of Roger Federer, and his comeback chances after recovering from his injury.
Rafael Nadal revealed he has been in regular contact with Roger Federer. The two legends often talk about the tips and advice they get from other pros, as well as the key issues affecting the tour and the world at large.
“These days we often hear from each other, obviously we discuss the tennis players’ advice and in general about important situations,” Nadal said.
The Spaniard also noted that Federer was back in training, and he seemed quite optimistic that the Swiss would have a successful comeback in 2021.
“I see that he is already training and I think he will come back quite well,” Nadal added.
Rafael Nadal acknowledged the difficulty of the current global situation, and highlighted the need to find a swift solution to the health crisis. He then went on to reiterate that Roger Federer and he had been ‘talking regularly’, presumably on these same lines.
“The situation today is very difficult, we have to find a solution given the current times and I have to say that lately, we have been talking regularly,” the Mallorcan continued.
I don't think anyone can predict how far Roger Federer's career can go: Rafael Nadal
The last time Roger Federer took such a long break from the tour, he came back and won the first Slam he played - the 2017 Australian Open. But the expectations are lower this time around, given that he is 39 years old now.
During the interview, Rafael Nadal was asked about the likely future course of Roger Federer’s career. Given that the two are such good friends off the court, many believe they discuss retirement plans too.
But Nadal chose not to mention any numbers, instead asserting that nobody could possibly predict Roger Federer's future. The Spaniard also bluntly remarked that it was difficult for him to predict his own career, so doing that for someone else was next to impossible.
“How far can it go? Well, you can’t know and I don’t think anyone can. I don’t know how I am [going to do], let alone [Federer].”