Roger visits Rafa: Federer and Nadal break the internet with Mallorca reunion
Despite an Australian Open full of upsets, the two grabbed fans' attention as they were spotted together at the Rafa Nadal Academy.
Just when we were getting over Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from the Australian Open after his long-awaited return to tour, and the tennis world was back in motion in Melbourne, the Spaniard found a way to creep back into our heartstrings by reuniting with his longtime rival, the one and only Roger Federer.
The two were spotted together at Nadal's eponymous tennis academy in his native Mallorca, in Spain, just a few days into the year's first major, because how can there be a Grand Slam without two grand greats?
As the game's biggest stars were tested (and many, beaten) at Melbourne Park, fans couldn't get enough of the duo’s reunion in Europe.
Nadal’s post thanking Federer for his visit earned more than a million likes on Instagram and more than 10,000 comments—one of which came from familiar tennis voice, Boris Becker, who wrote, “2 very cool guys.”
Yes, Boris, indeed.
One fan-led theory behind the Australian Open commotion, which saw more than half of the women's seeded players out before the third round, is that players wanted to take the spotlight back. The joke even spawned some hilarious memes.
Needless to say, even getting a taste of Nadal and Federer in the vicinity of a tennis court together again, left fans wanting more than just a fleeting catch-up session, but their attention will soon be drawn back to the first Grand Slam of the year soon enough.
Congratulations, Australia—your Down Under-drama went all according to plan.