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Earlier this month, Roger Federer announced that he would be sitting out the remainder of the 2020 tennis season owing to a pressing knee injury.
After having undergone arthroscopic knee surgery in the month of February, Roger Federer was supposed to return for the grass swing. However, he had to go under the knife once again as the rehabilitation did not go according to plan, and that setback forced the Swiss to call it a season.
Upon hearing this, Toni Nadal, uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal, said that he was upset at the news as he really enjoys watching the Swiss great play.
Speaking in an interview with Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Toni Nadal also shared his views about the revamped ATP calendar schedule and what this hiatus period means for players like his nephew.
“I am very sorry for Roger’s injury, since he is a person I enjoy watching in tennis. I don’t like it so much when he plays against my nephew (laughs), but there is no doubt in affirming that Federer is a great champion and I would like to see him again at a great level when he returns from the injury," Toni Nadal confessed.
Roger Federer's injury announcement has sparked reactions, with Novak Djokovic's father Srdjan Djokovic openly suggesting it is time for the 38-year-old to retire from tennis and play with his kids. However, Toni Nadal has a totally different opinion, and believes that Roger Federer's injury setback is bad news for the tennis world.
“Without a doubt, that statement was very bad news for the world of tennis," Toni Nadal said. "From here I want to send him encouragement and tell him that everything will turn out very well. Don’t play anymore this season and hopefully your knee will recover as soon as possible."
Old players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will be most affected by this situation: Toni Nadal
The tennis season had been suspended due to the pandemic but the ATP has now released a new calendar for the remainder of the season which restarts from August 14. The nearly five-month break from tennis has had varied effects on players but Toni Nadal feels that the Big 3, being the oldest, are more likely to be affected by the situation.
But Toni has great faith in his nephew, and knows that he can bounce back against all odds if he uses this time out to tend to his body.
“Rafa has been a player who throughout his career has known how to overcome all the problems he has had. I think that the most affected in this situation..they must be the oldest players. That is, the Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Although it is also true that if they retake it with great enthusiasm, they could use this break of several months to adapt their game and their body," Toni Nadal said.
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