With the tennis world glued to events making waves in Melbourne, one photo was enough to take that interest away, albeit momentarily.
Few athletes have transcended the sport quite like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have done in their genre. The two of them combine for 42 Grand Slam wins and three Olympic gold medals, not to mention a raft of other tennis records and hardware.
This week, the two legends reunited, and where else but in tennis surroundings. Federer paid his great rival Nadal a courtesy visit on Wednesday at his eponymous academy in Manacor, Mallorca.
The Spaniard shared the news on his official social media pages with a photo of their reunion. Federer famously attended the grand opening of the Rafa Nadal Academy back in 2016, when both himself and Nadal were injured.
"Great to have you here with me today my friend. Thanks for the visit and hope to see you again very soon."
They would soon return to action the following season and dominate the men's tour like it was during their prime years, with Federer winning the 2017 Australian Open and Wimbledon, while Nadal hoisted the French and US Opens.
The Swiss has been candid about accepting the invite eight years ago, believing it inspired him to hit such great lengths again in 2017. Federer has also revealed in the past that his twin boys, Lenny and Leo, developed a penchant for tennis and took them to the academy for a couple of days.
The Federer-Nadal rivalry is widely regarded as one of the most prolific and gripping in tennis history. When the pair appeared in the same tennis tournament, organizers were guaranteed healthy returns on their investments through record ticket sales and advertising revenue.
There have been some heated moments in press conferences in some of their matches, but they have always maintained great respect for each other. Interestingly, towards the end of Federer's career, that love and respect have only gone several notches higher.
Federer has retired from the sport, but his 37-year-old friend is still attempting to prolong his career. After suffering a setback in his comeback from a hip injury, Nadal is currently recovering from a muscle tear and reportedly plans to play at the Qatar Open next month.
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