Federer arrived Friday morning to visit Nadal, along with the coaching staff and students of the Mallorca tennis academy. The 20-time Grand Slam champion spent time interacting with and signing autographs for the children. He then had a conversation with Nadal about the academy's development.

Federer (right) and Nadal at the "King of Clay's" tennis academy in Mallorca, Spain on 18/7. Photo: ATP

Federer (right) and Nadal at the "King of Clay's" tennis academy in Mallorca, Spain on 18/7. Photo: ATP

Federer is on a family trip to Spain and has enrolled his children in a summer camp at Nadal's academy. Last week at Wimbledon, Federer sat in the Royal Box to watch several matches, including Novak Djokovic's quarterfinal against Alex de Minaur. Federer later predicted Djokovic would win against Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, but the opposite occurred.

Federer has visited Nadal's academy several times, most recently in early 2024 when the "King of Clay" inaugurated a new international-standard indoor court complex. He is reportedly considering opening a similar academy in Switzerland.

Nadal also invited Federer to the academy's opening ceremony in 2016. Federer subsequently enrolled his children in the summer program there. The two former rivals have maintained a close relationship for years, extending beyond the tennis court.

When Federer retired at the Laver Cup in 2022, Nadal was his doubles partner despite being injured. At Roland Garros last month, Nadal was honored with tributes from Federer and the other two members of the "Big Four".

Federer and Nadal are considered one of tennis's classic rivalries, competing from 2004 to 2019 in 40 matches. Along with Djokovic, they are the only three men to have reached 20 Grand Slam titles. Nadal holds the record for 14 Roland Garros titles, while Federer holds the record for eight Wimbledon titles.

Vy Anh