Roger Federer doesn't think Rafael Nadal would've struggled to play with a wooden racket
Racket technology has evolved and improved considerably over the years. And that has often prompted fans to ponder whether Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic would have still ruled the sport if they had to play with the wooden rackets used by players prior to the 80s.
In Rafael Nadal's case, some believe that the older rackets would have prevented him from generating the vicious topspin that makes his groundstrokes so lethal. But Nadal's fellow all-time great and good friend Federer disagrees, as seen in a new book penned about him called 'Acting and Thinking like Roger Federer.'
Roger Federer believes Rafael Nadal would have found a way around the challenge by hitting flatter, and altering the shape of his arm-swing when striking the forehand. The 39-year-old also pointed out that greats of the game such as Nadal can always adapt to the situation.
Federer cited the example of Rod Laver, asserting that the Australian - who predominantly struck the ball flat - would have incorporated topsin seamlessly had he been part of the present era.
"Many think that Rafa could not have played with wooden rackets, I do not agree," Roger Federer said. "His forehand could have been less impressive. But he would have adapted his lasso movement and found a way to exploit his talent by hitting more flat."
"It's the same for Rod Laver," Federer added. "He was playing flat because that was the style at the time. But he would have hit topspin easily with today's rackets. The best hands and the best eyes adapt to everything; they learn, they evolve."
Would the likes of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have had totally different playing styles if they had had to play with wooden rackets?
Wooden rackets had a considerably smaller head size; they were around 65 sq. inches, compared to modern-day rackets which are between 90 and 110 sq. inches. They also had a weaker string tension which, coupled with the smaller head, would've made it very difficult for someone like Rafael Nadal to hit the ball with his trademark dipping topspin.
Roger Federer would have also likely struggled to find winners due to the racket-head proportions. The sweet spot in a wooden racket is considerably smaller than in a modern racket, so you need to strike the ball prefectly to make the ball travel quickly.
Federer and Nadal would have both had to employ a much shorter backswing if they had to play with wooden rackets. That, in turn, would have forced them to rely on their raw physical strength to strike groundstrokes with power.
Their serve would have also lost some of its bite given the relative looseness of the strings in wooden rackets.
However, as Roger Federer said in the book, elite players always find a way around problems. Both he and Rafael Nadal would likely have excelled with wooden rackets, even if they had to change their games to an extent.