“Express Train” has nothing but good wishes for the two great rivals ahead of the 2024 season.
This trio has made up the Big Three in tennis over the past two decades, but Federer retired last year while Nadal missed almost the entire 2023 season due to a hip injury.
Novak Djokovic as usual dominated the tennis world this year, winning 3/4 Grand Slams to reach a record of 24 Major titles. He also finished the season ranked No. 1, surpassing the milestone of 400 weeks leading the ATP rankings in the process.
As the last major tournaments close out the 2023 season, fans turn their eyes to the next campaign with Nadal preparing to make his long-awaited return in January.
2024 will likely be Nadal’s last year as a professional tennis player, which will certainly be a blow to tennis in general.
On the other hand, Djokovic will look to continue to maintain his position at the top of the game. The superstar from Serbia affirmed that he has no intention of retiring, which Federer welcomed.
Roger Federer paid tribute to two great colleagues
In a recent interview, “Express Train” Roger Federer had the opportunity to share his thoughts about the two biggest opponents in his career.
“I’m really happy and lucky to be able to share the stage with them for such a long time. I have a lot of memories from every match, big or small. I have answered questions about them many times and I can only say the best things about them. It’s been great playing with Rafa and Novak for so many years.
I hope that Rafa can come back strong next year. Besides that, I want to tell Novak to keep playing as long as you want because it’s good for the game that these guys are still playing.”
Rafael Nadal has not competed since January 2023. He officially re-entered the world of football at the Brisbane International tournament taking place from December 31 to January 7.
Djokovic begins his 2024 campaign by representing Serbia at the United Cup with a mixed team event taking place on December 29.
After that, the two have a break of about a week before the Australian Open takes place on January 15. These two tennis greats are likely to face off in the first round as Nadal will not be seeded for the Grand Slam after he used his protected ranking to enter the tournament.
