By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, November 6, 2026
Photo credit: Rafa Nadal Academy
The 2027 season could see tennis renaissance: a relaunch of the timeless Fedal rivalry.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer hit the links together this year, chat on the phone regularly and the King of Claysays he is “open” to the playing an exhibition series against Hall of Famer Federer.
In a new interview with the Associated Press to promote his appearance at ‘The MGM Slam presented by Capital One” at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on February 28th, Nadal shared he speaks with Federer on a nearly weekly basis. Nadal said he’s interested in playing exhibition events against Federer, but reiterated nothing has been finalized.
“I am open [to it] and I had long conversations with Roger,” Nadal told Associated Press. “Let’s see what’s going on in the future; if something happens or not. But we are in almost weekly contact together. We talk very often and if at some point we find the right reason and the right place to do something, you will know, guys. But I don’t know yet.”
Speaking to CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin in September, 2025, Federer was asked about the prospect of reviving the senior tour.
Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Federer delivered an intriguing response, specifically saying “maybe we can create a Fedal Tour.”
Federer, who looked extremely fit playing exhibitions at the US Open and Newport prior to his Hall of Fame induction in August, says he’s been playing tennis fairly frequently and would love to reunite with old rival Rafa.
“Why not? I love Rafa,” Federer told CNBC. “I played four hours of tennis the other day in LA—here in San Francisco, sorry—and then in LA also another hour and a half. So before that I’ve been playing a lot.
“I’ve been trying to keep in good shape. And I know that Rafa is totally open to maybe playing some tennis. It sounds terrible, seniors tennis, to us but maybe we can create a tour like a Fedal Tour or something like that. I mean it would be cool.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, who was 24-16 vs. Federer on the ATP Tour, joked the two rivals sometimes talk about today’s tennis.
“Yeah, we think that we were much, much better. Yeah,” Nadal joked to Associated Press while laughing. “No, we talk about different stuff. …
“We talk about golf. We talk about sports. We share thoughts. I mean, normal relationship.”
0 comments