"Yes I will miss seeing him play," Roger Federer on Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal announced that he will not be competing at the French Open this year, his first absence from the event in two decades. The Spaniard stated that he has effectively ruled himself out of the rest of the season, with 2024 being his farewell tour.

Roger Federer conducted a QnA session on social media, where a fan asked him about Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from the French Open. The Swiss maestro stated that he will certainly miss seeing Nadal compete at this year's French Open, and believes that Nadal's dominance in Paris is one of the greatest sporting stories.

"Yes I will miss seeing him play," adding that "French Open + Rafael Nadal = one of the most incredible records in the history of all sports," said Federer.

Roger Federer was happy that Rafael Nadal took the decision to recover fully before he returns to the tour again. His earliest return date would be the 2023 Davis Cup which takes place at the end of the season.

"I'm happy for him (Nadal) that he's giving himself the necessary time so that he can come back healthy and make a few more magical runs," said Federer.