Nadal praises Federer
Roger Federer no longer needs to be the world's number 1 tennis player and still be a contender for the Australian Open title next year, said current world number one Rafael Nadal on Monday.
By Julien Pretot
PARIS, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Roger Federer no longer needs to be the world's number 1 tennis player and still be a contender for the Australian Open title next year, said current world number one Rafael Nadal on Monday.
Federer's decline has been well documented since 2011, the year he first failed to win a Grand Slam title since 2003. The Swiss player suffered further setbacks this season, with his best performance being the Australian Open semi-finals – the first time he has failed to reach a Grand Slam final since 2002.
Federer, however, holds the record of 17 Grand Slam titles and spent 302 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings. He remains a formidable opponent, according to Nadal.
"I have no doubt that he will be playing better than he has this year," said the Spaniard in a press conference at the Paris Masters, where the two rivals could meet again in the final.
"Without a doubt. His talent allows him to be among the favorites, to continue winning the best tournaments of the year. So, talking about him returning or trying to return to being number 1, I think that's not his goal, because in the end he's already been there. He's been at the top of the rankings for a long time."
Federer, who lost the Basel tournament final to Argentine Juan Martin del Potro on Sunday, will be the fifth seed in Paris, where he will seek to accumulate more points to reach the ATP World Tour Finals.