A few days after bringing his children to the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy's summer camp, Federer joined his longtime rival for a round of golf at the Pula Golf Resort in Mallorca. The famous friends spent several hours competing on the course, where Nadal had participated in an amateur tournament the previous week.
Nadal has achieved a near-scratch handicap, demonstrating a high level of skill in amateur golf. "Anyone up for a match?", Federer posted on Instagram on 23/7, along with a photo of himself and Nadal holding golf clubs. The post attracted over 1 million likes, including from famous athletes like Lyndsey Vonn and Casper Ruud.
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Nadal (left) and Federer play golf at the Pula Golf Resort, Mallorca, Spain on 22/7. Photo: Reuters |
Nadal (left) and Federer play golf at the Pula Golf Resort, Mallorca, Spain on 22/7. Photo: Reuters
Last month, Federer, along with Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, attended Nadal's retirement ceremony at Roland Garros. In a subsequent interview, Nadal mentioned the possibility of the four tennis legends competing on the golf course, as they all play the sport. "However, I might have to give them a handicap because my current level is higher," Nadal joked.
Since retiring at the end of 2024, Nadal has spent most of his time working at his academy in Mallorca, caring for his family, and pursuing other sports. He often plays soccer with his son, goes fishing with friends, and participates in golf tournaments.
Three years ago, Nadal shared that golf had become more important as he got older and dealt with chronic pain in his left foot. The former world number 1 tennis player suffers from Mueller-Weiss syndrome, a degenerative bone condition affecting the mid-foot.
Nadal revealed that doctors told him he would have to live with the condition for the rest of his life. "The truth is that the current state of my knee and foot prevents me from playing high-impact sports like soccer and rugby. Golf is fine; I can compete and there are many opportunities for socializing. Even players with a low skill level can compete with those at a higher level thanks to the handicap system," Nadal explained.
Nadal holds the second-most Grand Slam titles, with 22 singles titles—two more than Federer. Throughout their careers, the pair faced each other 40 times, with Nadal winning 24 matches. Federer retired in 2022, concluding an illustrious career with 103 titles, 1,251 match wins, and a record eight Wimbledon championships.
Vy Anh
