Higher late than by no means.
In 2019, Roger Federer declined Carlos Alcaraz’s invitation to a follow session, one thing he revealed throughout final month’s Laver Cup. On the Staff Europe versus Staff World occasion, Federer mentioned he planned to apologize to Alcaraz for refusing the Spaniard’s invite 5 years in the past.
It seems Federer got here by means of together with his apology in a giant means.
On Thursday, the ATP released unseen footage of Fedrerer and Alcaraz working towards collectively ultimately week’s Shanghai Masters.
Federer and Alcaraz also sat together in the course of the finals in Shanghai between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
Regardless of being labeled Rafael Nadal’s protege as a result of Spanish connection, Alcaraz grew up modeling his recreation after Federer. And the 21-year-old could have very effectively succeeded. Many analysts, together with Boris Becker, consider his skillset resembles Federer’s greater than any of as we speak’s gamers, particularly his scorching forehand and talent to combine up his rallies on grass courts. There is a cause Alcaraz has already gained two titles at Wimbledon, the hallowed courts the place Federer made his legend.
Sadly for tennis followers, the follow session in Shanghai is as near a Federer versus Alcaraz match as they’re going to ever see. The 2 males by no means went head-to-head earlier than Federer hung up the racket in 2022.
Alcaraz is at present in Saudi Arabia for the Six Kings Slam exhibition match. The World No. 2 defeated Nadal within the semifinals on Thursday to arrange a ultimate showdown towards World No. 1 Sinner. Nadal and Djokovic, the 2 losers of the semis, will face off in a third-place tie on Saturday, the identical day of the lads’s ultimate.
