- Tennis. John McEnroe: It makes no sense that someone who has won 14 titles in Paris is not seeded
- Tennis. Stefanos Tsitsipas confirms he is back with Paula Badosa: We are together
Roger Federer knows Rafa Nadal well and knows better than anyone what he is capable of doing on the clay of Roland Garros.
The Swiss lost his six duels in Paris against the Spaniard and, now that the Manacor faces what may be his last tournament on Parisian clay, Federer reveals what he expects from his great rival in these weeks.
"Will he be able to have a great Roland Garros? I think so. The rest day between rounds is exactly what he needs. Then there are the five sets and that's another unknown that he can't answer himself. But he had such an edge in his prime that I still think he's capable of a great Roland Garros. I do not want to put pressure on him, although he can also deal with that," said the Swiss in an interview with Telematin.
Federer's concern for Nadal
Federer then put on the table the doubt that he has about the physical state of Nadal.
"The question is not his level of play, from afar I have the impression that his biggest problem is recovery," said Federer.
With the experience of his retirement, the Swiss analyzed how he thinks Nadal will say goodbye to the sport: "I know how I felt at the end, but maybe it's a little bit different because I wasn't playing (because of his knee injuries).
"What I see is someone who is really trying to be on the court. If he says 'ciao', he's going to say it on a court and not on his couch, and I love that because he's so far from 100 per cent. It's such a personal decision that he has to choose how he wants to do it, based on his body, as he says in all honesty."
On the date of Nadal's farewell, he dares not hint at anything: "I don't know anything, but I would like it to end as he has decided, with his family and his team.
"I would like him to stay on the circuit a little longer than people think. I've heard a lot of things, that the end could be during this Roland Garros or after the Olympics or that he will still be here next year, which I really hope. I'm still a big fan of Rafa."