'If he says ‘ciao’, it will be on the field and not on the sofa,' Roger Federer backs Rafael Nadal’s choice to bid farewell on court

We saw each other for a photoshoot and recently too. What I see is someone who is really trying to be on the field. If he says 'ciao', it will be on the pitch and not on the sofa. And I love that, because we see that he is far from being 100%. I think it's so personal that he has to choose how he wants to say goodbye. I have no information and I hope he can play much longer than we think. The question is his body, as he himself says very honestly. Roger Federer said

Nadal was present during Federer’s farewell tournament at the Laver Cup in 2022. The duo shared an emotional moment alongside the rest of Team Europe after their doubles loss on the opening day against Jack Sock and Francis Tiafoe.

Now, roles are reversed as the King of Clay has announced his intention to play in the Laver Cup this year. With Andre Agassi announced as John McEnroe’s replacement as the captain of Team World, the world awaits the decision on Bjorn Borg’s replacement, with rumors predicting it to be Federer. If that happens, we may witness another emotional moment between the two tennis greats on the court.

Rafael Nadal has a tough road at Roland Garros

If one had predicted that the semi-finalists of Roland Garros two years ago would be playing in the first round of the 2024 edition, it would have been outrageous. However, this is the reality as the 14-time champion Rafael Nadal is scheduled to play Alexander Zverev in the first round of this year’s French Open.

Even more astonishing is that this match arguably marks the first time that the King of Clay is entering as the underdog. It’s rare to see the word ‘underdog’ associated with Nadal at Roland Garros, but if he were honest, he might agree.

The Spaniard made a last-minute decision to compete in Roland Garros after giving unconfirmed answers about his participation following his defeat in Rome to Hubert Hurkacz. On the other hand, Zverev seems to be enjoying tennis again after winning the Italian Open for the second time in his career.

The only glimmer of optimism for Nadal is that Zverev has distractions off the court. The German will be facing trial over domestic abuse charges, scheduled to appear in court on May 26. Despite this, in reality, the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s farewell at Roland Garros could come earlier than expected.