Roger Federer has requirement for playing another match as Nadal link-up hopes addressed

Roger Federer’s agent has revealed that the retired tennis star has one requirement before he returns to the court for an exhibition match.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion ended his career at the Laver Cup two years ago.

Federer co-created the team tournament with his agent Tony Godsick and the duo are back as spectators in Berlin this year.

During their time at the seventh edition of the Laver Cup, Godsick addressed the chances of Federer returning to play an exhibition match - especially a highly-anticipated one with Rafael Nadal.

But the 43-year-old will only be back out once he feels he’s ready. Asked whether he could face Nadal at the Santiago Bernabeu, Godsick told Marca: “Since Roger retired he has not wanted to play another match until he feels physically fit.”

Federer ultimately retired because he couldn’t recover from an ongoing knee injury. The problem forced him to shut down his 2020 season in February. He had two surgeries and returned more than a year later.

But the Swiss star played just five tournaments before limping off the court at Wimbledon and ending his 2021 season to have a third operation. Ahead of the 2022 Laver Cup, he announced it would be his final tournament. And it seems the right knee still isn’t strong enough to play.

Federer has embarked on several exhibition tours. Before going under the knife in 2020, he invited Nadal to play a record-breaking match in South Africa in front of 51,954 people. Federer previously faced Alexander Zverev in a Mexican exhibition with a capacity of 42,517.

And Godsick believes the former world No. 1 will also want another huge venue for his next outing. “I think of the record number of spectators they set in South Africa. We like to do great things. If there is the option of beating that record one day, I am sure Roger will consider it,” he added.