5 reasons why 2017 could see the revival of the ‘Fedal’ rivalry

#2 Change in their playing style

Federer and Nadal have both changed their playing styles recently

One of the biggest reasons behind both Federer and Nadal’s success at the Australian Open were the alterations that both of them have made to their respective games. Although the ‘Fedal’ rivalry is arguably the greatest of the modern era, the fact that the Swiss master and the Spanish ace are in the last legs of their careers.

More importantly, both Federer and Nadal would have to make alterations to their game to keep them competitive against the likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and the rest. However, credit to both of them; this is exactly what they have done. While Federer has reworked his service game and added shots like the ‘SABR’ to his repertoire; Nadal isn’t afraid to mix his baseline power game, with a move to the net, every once in a while.

The basic logic behind both these alterations, however, is fairly simple: Both Federer and Nadal can take control of a rally and finish off the point at the earliest, instead of engaging in seemingly endless rallies with some of the younger legs in the game.