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Toni Nadal said the 14-time Roland Garros champion would soon play exhibitions with Roger Federer and, perhaps Novak Djokovic too. (AP Photo)
Rafael Nadal’s former coach and uncle Toni has hinted at the Spaniard GOAT playing exhibition matches with Roger Federer, after the French Open gave him a warm sendoff, reminding him of how much the world loved him. Talking to claytenis.com, Toni Nadal said the 14-time Roland Garros champion would soon play exhibitions with Roger Federer and, perhaps Novak Djokovic too. “I imagine he’d like to do some exhibitions with Federer soon, to give back a little of everything tennis has given him and what tennis has meant to him,” Toni Nadal told CLAY and RG Media.
Toni speculated that the end of Djokovic’s career is approaching, and he too could join the caravan of greats. “It would be very special for people to see the three of them playing again. And yes, I think they’ll have to do something, because I suppose people will be motivated to see them play later on,” Claytenis.com quoted him as saying.
Nadal, who turns 39 on June 3, had said at Roland Garros that he hasn’t touched a racquet for months, but uncle Toni reckoned that at some point he’ll want to get in shape for exhibitions. Benito Pérez Barbadillo, the Spaniard’s communications manager, told CLAY that he is “convinced that (Nadal) will consider” playing exhibitions in the future, something he considered “logical,” although he added that he has “no knowledge of this” today.
Toni added that his nephew hadn’t told him about his interest in facing Federer and Djokovic in exhibitions, but he expected it would happen nevertheless. “I think I’ve been close enough to him to know him a little and know that he would be excited to play with Federer. Tennis has been a big part of his life, it’s meant a big part to him, and you don’t just erase it from one day to the next,” he added to Claytenis.com.
When will Nadal return to the courts in the form of exhibitions? Toni told CLAY, “After these months away from the courts, I think at some point he’ll want to get back to training and feel like he’s playing the ball well. I’m convinced that soon, quite soon, he’ll be back playing.”
2026 was a more realistic target given Rafa was expecting the birth of his second child this year, according to Claytenis.com. Riffing off Paris, and its elegant ceremony, the Italian Tennis Federation (ITF) too were keen on one such telling CLAY that the Italian Open wants to organize a grand tribute to Nadal, a ten-time champion of the tournament. Rome is considered the most important clay-court tournament after Roland Garros.
“In 2024, Nadal knew there was a tribute planned, but he didn’t want to do it. In 2026, it would be logical for us to pay tribute to him, and it’s clear that Paris has raised the bar significantly. The most important thing will be to do something he likes,” Claytenis.com quoted a source as saying.
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There’s a huge clamour with Madrid Masters 1000 too hinting that they would be happy to welcome him back as an exhibition player. “And not just once, but ten times if you want!” Gerard Tsobanian, president and CEO of the Spanish tournament, told CLAY in Paris. “If Rafa can play in a way that doesn’t cause him physical pain and can put on a show, like he has all these years, why not?” Tsobanian was quoted as saying by Claytenis.com.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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