Watch: How Roger Federer would look if he was still playing tennis during Wimbledon 2040
There may not be any live tennis action during the off-season, but fans have been keeping themselves entertained with various memes on their favorite stars. The latest are a couple of video clips which give a possible glimpse into what tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal would look like if they were still playing tennis decades into the future.
The videos, uploaded on YouTube, come from the channel "a letter from the lens" who make 'video clips inspired by nature and beautiful shots'.
To begin with, Roger Federer is projected into the future as a 59-year-old speaking to the media at the All England Club in the year 2040. Federer, who is currently an eight-time Wimbledon champion, talks in the video about returning to the Championships in 2041.
Interestingly, the clip uses the actual comments that Federer made after he won the 2017 Wimbledon title.
"I mean, you would think so, health permitting, and if everything is okay," Federer says. "You could take 300 days off beforehand, just prepare for Wimbledon, put yourself in a freeze box, then you come out and train a bit, you know you're not going to be injured."
The other video projects 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal into the year 2050. The Spaniard is seen talking about winning yet another French Open title as a 64-year-old, and again the comments used are real - this time from his 2020 title winning run.
“For two sets and a half I played great. I can't say another thing. Is impossible to have this score against him without playing great," Nadal says. "I played at my highest level when I needed to play at my highest level, so [that is] something I am very proud of."
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will be aiming to create more records in 2021
The 39-year-old Roger Federer has been away form the courts since January due to an injury. The Swiss legend underwent double knee surgery - one in February and another in June - and is expected to return to the tour in 2021.
During Roger Federer's time away from the courts, Rafael Nadal won his 13th French Open title and tied the Swiss's all-time record of 20 Slams.
In 2021, both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will be aiming to create more records. Federer will be looking to add to his eight Wimbledon singles titles - already an all-time record for the men - while Rafael Nadal will be aiming to win a record-extending 14th French Open title in Paris.
Despite playing just one tournament, Roger Federer finished the 2020 season as World No. 5 due to the revised ranking system put in place for the pandemic. Rafael Nadal ended the season as World No. 2, right behind Serbia's Novak Djokovic - who won his 17th major at the Australian Open in January.
The calendar for the 2021 season is yet to be formally announced, with reports suggesting that the Australian Open could be pushed back by a few weeks to February. This could lead to a big shuffle in the schedule for the first quarter of the year.