The pair dominated men’s tennis, along with Novak Djokovic, for almost 20 years as the sport’s ‘Big Three’.
They defined a new era for the game, taking it to new levels with legendary battles on the court.
Federer retired professionally in 2022, with Nadal’s career coming to an end two years later with 22 Grand Slams under his belt.
It was a poignant moment, marking the end of an unforgettable chapter in tennis history.
But now, three years on from their final encounter, it’s been suggested that we could see Federer and Nadal reignite their iconic on-court rivalry.
“Yeah, why not? I mean, I love Rafa,” replied Federer when asked about creating a potential senior tour with Nadal during an interview with CNBC.
“I played four hours of tennis the other day in San Francisco and then in LA another hour and a half. Before that, I’ve been playing a lot, I’ve been trying to keep in good shape.
“I know that Rafa is also totally open to playing some tennis. It sounds terrible, senior tennis to us, but maybe we can create a tour, like a Fedal tour or something like that.”
The Swiss great was one of the founders of the competition, which began back in 2017 and is named after Rod Laver - widely considered one of tennis’ greatest ever players.
It is an international indoor hard court men’s tournament between Team Europe and Team World.
“One of the reasons why I started the Laver Cup is to shine a light on the past greats of the game,” he added.
“There is a lot of appetite for seeing past champions in tennis, so I could maybe look into that.”
The 2025 Laver Cup gets underway on Friday, September 19.
This year’s tournament is being held in San Francisco, after Team Europe’s dramatic win in Berlin in 2024.
“I think Europe is probably the favourite - mainly because of Alcaraz and [Alexander] Zverev on the team,” predicted Federer in a separate interview with TNT Sports.
“Especially Alcaraz - he’s playing tennis on another level, honestly. I always enjoy watching Carlos - he’s a real treat to watch.
“I do think that Europe probably overall has a stronger team, and I think the doubles are not as crucial this time around because I think both teams are about equally strong in the doubles. It’s going to come down to the singles.
“I think with Carlos Alcaraz on the team and him already arriving in San Francisco and ready to go, I give Europe the edge here in San Francisco to take it home again.”
‘Team Europe will win Laver Cup because of another-level Alcaraz’, says Federer
Video credit: SNTV
How to watch 2025 Laver Cup
The 2025 Laver Cup in San Francisco takes place from September 19-21, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
The action kicks off at 21:00 UK time on TNT Sports 4 on Friday, September 19.
The second match will follow immediately after, before the action resumes for the second set of matches at 5:00 UK time on Saturday morning.
Coverage of the second day will also start at 21:00 UK time on TNT Sports 3, before coverage of Sunday’s final round of matches gets under way at 20:00 UK time on TNT Sports 4.