Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic news this week: Roger Federer endorses Spaniard's academy; Serb's uncle nabs major tennis appointment
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were amiss from the Laver Cup 2024, which was held over the weekend. The former decided to skip the event right from the start, while the latter backed out a few days before the start of the tournament.
However, they're two of the sport's biggest names, and remain in the limelight in some form. Djokovic's uncle, Goran, snagged a major promotion as he was appointed as the president of the Serbian Tennis Federation on Friday, September 20.
He was previously the vice-president of the organization, and has years of experience under his belt. He also played a key role in managing the ATP 250 tournaments in Belgrade and Sofia over the years. He also acknowledged the role played by the 24-time Major champion in his success as well.
"My tennis experience mainly comes from Novak, but I also spent seven years as director of the Serbia Open and Sofia Open," - Goran Djokovic on his appointment as the president.
Goran Djokovic's main priority as the president is to improve the overall facilities and to help the growth of tennis in Serbia. His nephew has already helped out many of his compatriots in some form or another, and now the Djokovic family will aim to do so on a larger scale.
"We don't have our own facilities, we don't have a National Training Centre, and I want to resolve that," Djokovic added.
Roger Federer had some words of praise for the tennis academy run by his fellow tennis legend, Nadal. The Swiss great was in awe of the facilities, and urged everyone to visit it as soon as possible.
"His Academy in Mallorca is incredible. You should go and have a look at it if you haven't been to see it yet, it's a wonderful academy," - Federer on Nadal's tennis academy.
Three-time Major finalist Casper Ruud is the most notable alumni to come out of the Academy so far. Rising Russian teen star Alina Korneeva is another player who trains there.
Novak Djokovic to make his return at the Shanghai Masters as Rafael Nadal's hiatus continues
Following his third-round loss to Alexei Popyrin at the US Open, Djokovic returned to action for Davis Cup duty against Greece. He won his only singles match against Ioannis Xilas 6-0, 6-1 to help his country move on to the next stage. He then partook in an exhibition match against Grigor Dimitrov.
The Serb will return to the tour at next week's Shanghai Masters. It will mark his first appearance at the tournament since 2019, and he's a four-time champion at the venue to boot.
Nadal, meanwhile, hasn't given any updates regarding his future plans following his Laver Cup withdrawal. He hasn't competed anywhere since his campaign at the Paris Olympics came to an end in August.