"Novak Djokovic is playing and Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal still have more hype" - Spaniard reuniting with Swiss at his academy delights tennis fans

Rafael Nadal reuniting with Roger Federer at his academy in Mallorca, Spain, has sparked immense excitement among tennis fans.

Federer and Nadal established one of the most captivating and thrilling rivalries in the history of the sport. The duo locked horns in 40 tour-level encounters, with the Spaniard enjoying a 24-16 lead in their head-to-head record.

However, beyond their intense on-court rivalry, it was their heartwarming friendship that endeared them to fans. While the pair have spoken warmly of each other, they hadn't been seen together since their tearful encounter at the 2022 Laver Cup, where the 20-time Grand Slam champion hung up his racquet.

On Wednesday, January 17, Rafael Nadal, who has been recuperating in Mallorca since sustaining a new hip injury that forced his withdrawal from the 2024 Australian Open, pleasantly surprised fans by hosting Roger Federer at his academy. Nadal shared glimpses of the former World No. 1's visit on social media and expressed his gratitude for the visit.

"Great to have you here with me today my friend. Thanks for the visit and hope to see you again very soon 🙏🏻," the Spaniard captioned his Instagram post.

Tennis fans erupted with joy at the reunion, sharing their immense excitement on social media.

"FeDal: one of the greatest rivalries we could have ever seen and now is one of the most amazing friendships. Gotta love it!," a fan commented.

"Happy New Fedal content to me!!" another fan chimed in.

One fan joked that, despite Novak Djokovic competing at the Australian Open, the attention and hype generated by Federer and Nadal had eclipsed the Serb's campaign.

"Djokovic's playing and Federer and Nadal still have more hype and attention than he does," the fan posted.

Here are a few more reactions from fans:

Rafael Nadal: "Roger Federer is the player who has impressed me the most; I have been more excited to see him play than Novak Djokovic"

Laver Cup 2022 - Day One

Earlier this month, Rafael Nadal disclosed that Roger Federer is the player who left the greatest impression on him. The Spaniard emphasized that he experienced a stronger emotional response when watching the Swiss compete compared to Novak Djokovic.

"Since I can remember, he is the player who has impressed me the most, the one who has entertained me the most, the one who has excited me the most," he told Spanish publication El Pais.

"I have been more excited to see Federer play than Djokovic, and in the end tennis is emotion, emotion is what draws you to it," he added.

Nadal also explained the reasons behind the heightened interest in his rivalry with Federer compared to the other 'Big 3' matchups. He asserted that the dynamic contrast in his and the Swiss' playing styles and personalities, along with their riveting battles on the biggest stages of the sport, contributed to the undeniable allure of their rivalry.

"But tennis-wise it is clear. It is a very radical combination of styles. Federer was perfection on an aesthetic level, on a level of elegance, on a technical level. When I arrived, he was number one in the world, and he got a rival with long hair and an exuberant physique. Elegance against a warrior," he said.

"There was a pack of combinations of personalities and styles; And that, together with the fact that we have played many games on the most important stages, turned our rivalry into something that transcended more than any other duel," Nadal added.