After Roger Federer admitted being a fan of Rafael Nadal, it is now time for the Spaniard to praise his rival and spend nice words addressed to the 17-time Grand Slam champion.
For the first time since 1999, Federer will not be competing in a major event, stopping his record of consecutive appearances at 65 in 16 years. A former French Open missing in the draw sounds like good news for the other 127 title contenders and especially for the favorites.
That said, Nadal thought the absence of his rival in Paris is all but good news for the sport and the tennis fans.
”Roger’s absence is not going to change a lot for me and my tournament. For the fans and the tournament however, it really is bad news. For any tournament missing a champion like him, not seeing him compete, is bad news” said Rafael in Paris.
Truth is, with the Swiss out of the tournament, Nadal was awarded the 4th seed in the draw, therefore managing to avoid a quarter-final clash against Novak Djokovic. The hint of luck backfired real quick for the Spaniard however, who got pitted a nightmare draw in Paris in his quest to obtain a record 10th title, with a clash against the Serb only postponed for one round.
