Toni Nadal Says Roger Federer’s Comeback is ‘More Difficult’ Than Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, often appears in the media to talk about his nephew and other topics related to tennis. Toni is currently coaching Felix Auger-Aliassime, after Rafa and him ended their coaching relationship in 2017.

In a recent podcast, Toni gave his take on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s comeback to the tour in 2022. According to him, it’ll be more challenging for Federer to continue playing for more years. On the other hand, he believes Rafael Nadal still has 2-3 decent years left in his career.

Toni Nadal’s verdict on Roger Federer

Toni Nadal discussed Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s future on 3Iguales podcast. Uncle Toni first talked about Federer’s circumstances. He said,” I think it’s more difficult for [Roger] Federer [to continue playing at the top level] because he’s 40 years old and is coming off the back of several operations, which I don’t know if they went well.” 

At Laver Cup 2021, however, Roger Federer did reveal that he’s feeling good after his surgery and hopes to return to the tennis courts soon.

On his nephew, Toni Nadal said, “In the case of Rafael, I am confident that he has two or three good years left. I hope that he will be able to win one more Grand Slam. The reality is that every year it’s more difficult and every year the youngsters are getting closer [to the top].”

Toni Nadal also highlighted an important point. He believes that the younger generation gets stronger each year, so it becomes difficult for players like Federer and Nadal to compete at the highest level.

Toni Nadal confident in Rafael Nadal’s situation

Uncle Nadal has said on several occasions that Rafael Nadal is recovering well from his foot injury and hopes to return soon. He once again said, “We have learned to live with his [injury] problems and I think he will get over it again. He is excited to start 2022 at the top of his game. I’m confident that 2022 will be a good year for him.”

It will be interesting to witness how the 20-time Grand Slam champion approaches the season and if he can bag the record-breaking 21st title.

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