Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal to play at Australian Open

Tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal could be set to return for next year’s Australian Open. Both stars have not played any tennis in the second half of 2021 due to their respective injuries. 

Tennis coach and analyst Darren Cahill has revealed that Federer and Nadal could make their return to Grand Slam tennis at January’s Australian Open. 

“Roger is apparently playing, I know he’s doing a lot of work on the court at the moment and we’re pretty sure he’s going to come down to play the Australian Open. At 40 years of age, the fact that he’s even doing what he’s doing is quite remarkable. He’s trying to get 21 (major titles).

“Rafael is training his backside off, I’ve seen a lot of vision of him in Spain and he’s working incredibly hard going for 21,” said Cahill. 

Nadal had revealed a few days ago that he will make his return from injury at an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi next month, as preparation for the first Grand Slam of 2022. 

“My plan is to play Abu Dhabi in December and a tournament before playing the Australian Open. It is my goal and we are working hard to make it that way,” said Nadal. 

Cahill says that Novak Djokovic – whose appearance at the Australian Open is still not confirmed due to his vaccination status – will be missed if he doesn’t make it to the opening Grand Slam of 2022. But, he also believes that no player is bigger than the game and that the tournament will be a success even without the men’s World No. 1 and the defending men’s Australian Open champion. 

20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer last featured on a tennis court at this year’s Wimbledon quarter-finals, where he lost to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz. He had to undergo knee surgery following the event which forced him to pull out of the US Open and the rest of the year. 

Nadal, meanwhile, also pulled out of the last Grand Slam of the year just days before the event was supposed to get underway. The Spaniard, too, had to withdraw due to an injury after having trouble with his foot. 

Nadal, like Federer and Djokovic, has 20 Grand Slam titles to his name, with his last Grand Slam win coming at last year’s French Open. Federer, on the other hand, hasn’t won a Grand Slam since 2018, when he last won the Australian Open.