Rafael Nadal may be retired, but he’ll still be watching the Laver Cup from afar this weekend. The Ryder Cup-style team tournament was co-created by his old rival, Roger Federer, eight years ago. Nadal himself has represented Team Europe three times, playing doubles alongside Federer for the Swiss star’s retirement in 2022.
Ahead of this year’s edition of the Laver Cup in San Francisco, Nadal sent a message to the squad – and enjoyed a hilarious trip down memory lane.
“Good luck Team Europe,” Nadal tweeted on Friday, hours before the tournament was due to kick off for 2025.
The former world No. 1 also made a joke about a doubles match he played with Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2019, adding: “And don’t forget: ‘Any finger, you cross!’”
When Nadal and Tsitsipas teamed up on the doubles court in Geneva, Switzerland, six years ago, Tsitsipas wasn’t too clued up on the hand signals.
During a changeover, the rest of Team Europe – which included Federer and Dominic Thiem – crowded around their bench while Nadal tried to explain the gestures to his Greek partner.
“Just we need to be a little bit more clear with the finger,” Nadal told Tsitsipas, fighting back laughter. “I didn’t understand where you were going!”
Federer cracked up behind them as Tsitsipas attempted to show what he meant. Making a fist, Nadal replied: “Like this, you stay in the same place, you know? You go to your place. And any finger, you cross.”
Former team captain Bjorn Borg was left in stitches at Nadal’s simple demonstration. Nadal and Tsitsipas ultimately lost their doubles match to Team World’s Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock, who took it in a match tiebreak after splitting sets.
But it was Team Europe who emerged victorious at the end of the three-day weekend, with Alexander Zverev beating Milos Raonic in the decisive match.
Nadal also played the inaugural Laver Cup in 2017, and competed again in 2022 when Federer ended his career at London’s O2 Arena after they lost a doubles match to Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
The Spanish superstar has since joined his old rival in retirement, ending his career at last year’s Davis Cup Finals. Now, Federer is up for a seniors’ match. During an appearance on CNBC ahead of the Laver Cup, the 44-year-old was asked whether he’d ever set up a senior tour with Nadal. “Yeah, why not? I love Rafa,” he replied.
“I played four hours of tennis the other day here in San Francisco, and then LA also another hour and a half before that. So I’ve been playing a lot so I’m trying to keep in good shape.
“And I know that Rafa is also totally open to maybe play some tennis. It sounds terrible, seniors tennis, to us, but maybe we can create a tour, like a Fedal tour or something like that.”
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