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Match for AfricaFederer and Nadal in front of a new record setting at the Bernabéu?
Roger Federer manager Tony Godsick is nurturing the hope that there will be a superlative show fight after Rafael Nadal’s retirement.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal could play in front of a record crowd at the Santiago Bernabéu.
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Federer’s manager Tony Godsick is hoping for an exhibition match after Nadal’s retirement.
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Real Madrid’s modernized stadium can accommodate over 80,000 fans.
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A similar event took place in Cape Town in February 2020 with 50,000 fans.
The emotional farewell to Rafael Nadal a week ago in the Davis Cup is still in people’s minds, but the tears from Roger Federer’s resignation have long since dried. However, many fans still find it difficult to accept that the two tennis greats will never meet again as professionals on the tour.
But now Tony Godsick is providing a kind of generic in the eternal duel between the two giants. Roger Federer’s manager has in mind a show fight like four years ago in South Africa. “We like to do big things,” Godsick told Marca.
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper, the 53-year-old American uses the “Match in Africa” in front of a record crowd in Cape Town as an example. In 2020, Federer and Nadal played in front of 50,000 spectators at the Cape Town Stadium.
“If there is a way to surpass that one day, I am sure Roger will consider it,” explains Godsick, mentioning the Real Madrid Arena.
Special friendship between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
With a capacity for over 80,000 fans, the modernized Estadio Santiago Bernabéu would be the perfect venue for a world record. “Everything is possible in the future,” says Godsick, becoming nostalgic at the thought of it. “Roger and Rafael’s rivalry on the pitch was special, but I think the friendship between the two off it is even more special.”
The Laver Cup is also a common stage for Godsick. “My dream is for Roger to act as captain and Rafael as his assistant – and then vice versa.”
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