Published 17:11 IST, December 9th 2020
How Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal would look while playing tennis in 2040 and 2050: WATCH
At 39, Roger Federer is the oldest player ranked within the top 100 by the ATP. Showing no signs of stopping, there is no saying how much longer he could go on.
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At 39, Roger Federer is the oldest player ranked within the top 100 by the ATP. Here are some facts to give you a better idea of how old that is: World No.6 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No.12 Denis Shapovalov, No.21 Felix Auger-Aliassime and No.25 Alex De Minaur were not even alive when Federer made his debut on the professional circuit in July 1998. It seems to be an incredible achievement then, that Federer has kept himself fit enough, physically and mentally, not just to survive but to thrive in the sport.
What would a 59-year-old Federer look like at Wimbledon?
With Federer showing little to no signs of stopping, there is no saying how much longer the champion could go on playing the game he has come to be so loved for. Perhaps with this in mind, a YouTube user, 'A letter from the lens' posted an edited video of the Swiss maestro showing what he might look life is he was still playing 20 years on, in 2040. The video uses an actual clip of Federer from a post-match presentation at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
The morphed video shows a 59-year old Federer speaking to the media about returning to the Championships in 2041 and has perfectly overlapped some of his actual comments to suit the imaginary situation shown in the video. For example, Federer answers questions concerning his health, saying "I mean, you would think so, health permitting, and if everything is okay. You could take 300 days off beforehand, just prepare for Wimbledon, put yourself in a freeze box, then you come out and train a bit, you know you're not going to be injured".
Federer injury and Australian Open 2021 comeback
Facing his first big injury-related break from tennis since 2016, Roger Federer chose to take 2020 off to heal from his two knee surgeries. Having played just the Australian Open this year, the Swiss star is expected to return to the tour at the Australian Open next year. With the COVID-19 pandemic protecting his ranking, Federer will also have an easy springboard to start from, entering 2021 as the World No.5. The 20-time Grand Slam winner will be hoping to get in a few more titles before his retirement.
Also Read | Australian Open 2021 To Cost Whopping ₹609 CR, Recovery From COVID-19 To Take '5 Years'
Rafael Nadal Grand Slams in 2050
The same YouTube channel also posted a video of Rafael Nadal, reimagining what the Bull would look like if he was still active in 2050. In a somehow not-so-hard-to-believe video, the Spaniard can be seen talking about winning yet another French Open title at the age of 64. This video used is from Rafa's comments at the press conference from his 2020 title-winning run. With 13 French Open titles to his name in the last 16 years, it is not unthinkable that Rafa could reign supreme in Paris for many more years.
Also Read | Rafael Nadal Picks Roger Federer To 'play For His Life'; Rivals Name Novak Djokovic: Watch
Image Credits: 'A letter from the lens' Youtube
17:11 IST, December 9th 2020