“Don’t Quit Rafa, Tennis Needs You!” – When Roger Federer Played a Role in Extending Rafael Nadal’s Career After Australian Open 2017 Final

Rafael Nadal has announced his comeback on tour for the upcoming 2024 season. The Spaniard will be back playing the Brisbane International 2024 before hopefully participating at the Australian Open. Nadal will hope to register another brilliant comeback on the ATP Tour like he did in the 2017 and 2022 seasons. The Spaniard won two Grand Slam titles in 2022 after a big injury in 2021.

Rafael Nadal was coming back from an injury during the Australian Open 2017 too but performed exceedingly well to reach the final. In the final, he met his old rival Roger Federer, who too was making an injury comeback. Roger Federer ended up winning in a 5-set thriller to win his 18th Grand Slam title.

During the post-match interview, Roger Federer was congratulating Rafael Nadal and his team for their brilliant start to the season. The Swiss maestro further added that he hoped Nadal won’t stop playing because tennis needs him. Federer even stated that he would have been just as happy had Nadal won instead of him.

“I don’t think any of us expected to be playing in the Australian Open final when we met five months ago at your academy. There are no draws in tennis but I would have loved to share the trophy today with Rafa. Also, congrats to Rafa’s whole team. I hope you don’t quit because tennis needs you.”

This touching tribute from Federer towards his biggest rival won the hearts of fans all over the world. Now, with Nadal set to return in 2024, he will seek inspiration from his previous comebacks from injury and hope to start the season well.

Roger Federer’s kind words motivated Rafael Nadal

After his Australian Open loss, the Spaniard came back stronger to win two Grand Slam titles in 2017. Nadal won the French Open and followed it up with a US Open title to end the season on a high. These title wins rekindled his rivalry with Roger Federer as both tennis superstars competed for the highest number of Grand Slam titles.

Now, with Roger Federer retired, fans can no more witness their beloved Fedal together. However, Federer’s speech could have possibly given extra motivation to Rafael Nadal, who continued to play after another big injury in 2021. In 2022, Nadal won two more Grand Slams to reach 22 Grand Slam titles in his illustrious career.