Roger Federer says he wished Rafael Nadal well after the Spaniard retired from his quarterfinal match against Marin Cilic with a leg injury.
Federer said after his quarterfinal win over Tomas Berdych at Rod Laver Arena that he sent a text message to Nadal before he went to sleep last night, adding, "I’m happy the news is not terrible. It’s not nice to see fellow rival and friend go out like this."
Nadal had an MRI on his leg on Wednesday morning and said the injury to his leg is not too serious and he should only be out for three weeks.
I got one note from a player in the hospital when I broke my neck. @rogerfederer Tennis is lucky to have such an amazing ambassador for the game. https://t.co/wfCogHivwJ
— James Blake (@JRBlake) January 24, 2018
Federer, who beat Nadal in last year’s final at Melbourne Park, also commented on his rival’s new look for this year’s Australian Open — a sleeveless shirt similar to the one Nadal used to wear in his teenage years.
Federer joked that he couldn’t pull off the look himself, telling Jim Courier in his on-court interview, "That’s not going to happen. … My arms are not like his arms. It’s pretty simple."
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