"You book the practice court, or is it me?" - Rafael Nadal to Roger Federer after Laver Cup announcement
The tennis world received a pleasant surprise on Thursday as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal confirmed their participation for the 2022 Laver Cup. Less than 10 hours after the news was announced, the pair sent social media into a frenzy with their apparent plans to organize a combined training session.
It all started with Roger Federer retweeting the post by Laver Cup's official account announcing the news that he and the Spaniard would represent Team Europe.
"A Fedal Comeback. Tennis superstars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will represent Team Europe this September at the Laver Cup in London 2022," the tweet read.
A Fedal Comeback.
Tennis superstars @rogerfederer and @RafaelNadal will represent Team Europe this September at #LaverCup London 2022. Premium hospitality packages available starting February 7. Multi-session tickets go on sale in early March. bit.ly/3L6eJFd https://t.co/4ufboTFDp6
Federer added a series of emojis to imply that he was excited to play in the tournament, even though he is currently injured and uncertain of his return. The tweet immediately went viral, gaining over 6,000 retweets and almost 60,000 likes in less than an hour.
One among the several thousand people who saw the tweet was the Swiss' Laver Cup teammate, close friend and arch-rival Rafael Nadal. The Mallorcan quote-tweeted Federer's post and asked him whether he should book a practice court for the two to train together.
Nadal further added that he couldn't wait to play tennis again with the Swiss maestro.
"Roger, you book the practice court? Or is it me? Looking forward to playing again with you my friend!" Nadal tweeted.
looking forward to playing again with you my friend! 
🏻
🏻 twitter.com/rogerfederer/s…
Roger. You book the practice court? Or is it me? 😉looking forward to playing again with you my friend! 💪🏻👏🏻 twitter.com/rogerfederer/s…
The 35-year-old's reply received more than 3,000 retweets in less than an hour, and was liked by almost 30,000 users on the micro-blogging site.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both missed the Laver Cup in 2021
Both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer skipped the Laver Cup in 2021. The event took place in September, when both players were out of action due to injuries -- the Spaniard with a foot injury and the Swiss with a knee issue.
Federer is the player with the most points scored at the Laver Cup; he currently has 18 points to his name. 15 of those points were earned from singles ties (six wins from six matches), while three came from doubles rubbers (two wins from five matches).
Nadal, on the other hand, has six points to his name so far, having played only six matches. Four of his points were earned from singles ties (two wins from three matches), while only two points came from doubles rubbers (one win from three matches).
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have partnered each other for doubles only once, at the inaugural edition of the tournament back in 2017. The duo defeated Sam Querrey and Jack Sock 6-4, 1-6, [10-5] in a match that thrilled spectators all over the world.
Federer has appeared in the first three editions of the Laver Cup, while Nadal has appeared in only two; the 21-time Slam champion did not compete in 2018 either. Team Europe are four-time defending champions, having won the tournament in every single edition so far.