Roger Federer says he’ll ‘definitely’ come out of retirement to play with Rafael Nadal at one specific event

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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, across two decades, have enjoyed one the greatest rivalries in all of sport.

The latter, the young upstart bursting onto the scene, truly challenged the 42-year-old’s dominance at the time, and the battles the two shared were legendary.

Some of their matches are still widely regarded as the greatest of all time, and that is with good reason.

The speed, ferocity, accuracy and mastery with which they struck the ball at one another was a joy to watch, and it has arguably been even more heartwarming to see that rivalry melt into a genuine friendship and respect.

Roger Federer makes huge retirement claim

It seems that in the face of such growing kinship, Federer is now willing to do something truly exceptional for Nadal, should he request it.

When the Swiss maestro retired from tennis in 2022, it had been after an injury-hit period, with September’s Laver Cup the only event he had played that year.

But starring alongside Nadal, the two rolled back the years despite losing that final match, culminating in an iconic and tearful courtside moment between the two.

Well, it seems Federer is ready to relive that pain all over again, as he has suggested that, if asked, he would come out of retirement to play one event with his friend again.

He noted: ‘I don’t think we’ll play doubles together at the Laver Cup, but if he asks me, I’ll definitely be there.’

A dream come true for tennis fans

Were this to become a reality, tennis fans the world over would rejoice.

After all, it would be supremely poignant for Nadal, who has threatened to cut short his career soon, to end his time playing this sport in the exact same way that Federer, his outstanding rival had done.

It would act as a microcosm for the development of their relationship, and also be the perfect symbol of how interconnected their respective careers were.

The 38-year-old deserves to have the perfect send-off, and whether that comes at the upcoming Olympics, the following Laver Cup, next year’s Roland Garros or beyond, he will want to do it right.

But there is arguably no greater spectacle than pulling such a legendary figure out of retirement to play alongside him in one final showpiece conclusion, before both then finally call time on the sport that they jointly dominated for so long.