NEW YORK — Perhaps sensing that Roger Federer’s career is coming to a close, Rafael Nadal said he would’ve loved to have played his arch-rival at the U.S. Open.
But Nadal was referring to the finals in one of the recent years, not necessarily in this year’s quarterfinals.
“To be honest, going to be great if we were able to play that final, because I felt that our rivalry for so many years we were able to play in all the best scenarios, stadiums, around the world. Played the rest. Three finals of the Grand Slams,” Nadal said after advancing to the quarterfinals by beating Phillip Kohlschreiber of Germany, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-1.
“So probably that deserves to have that match here in the US Open, too, the biggest court of the world. But didn’t happen. That’s don’t mean cannot happen in the future. We’ll see. Hopefully. But is true that we are getting older, so the chances are less today than five years ago.”
Federer, 32, and Nadal, 27, have squared off in eight Grand Slam singles finals Wimbledon (2006–08, 2011), the French Open (2009) and the Australian Open (2009), but never in a U.S. Open final.
They would have met in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, but No. 7 Federer was stunned by No. 19 Tommy Robredo of Spain in straight sets earlier Monday.
Federer and Nadal could have met in the 2010 and 2011 US Open finals, but Federer lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals on both occasions.
Nadal won the title in 2010, with Djokovic taking it in 2011.
“For two times we were one point away,” Nadal said. “For this time we were one match away. But is always the same, no? You make the confrontations before the draw. When the draw is coming and in the first round you always talk about quarterfinals. To be in quarterfinals you need to win four matches. That not easy for nobody. That’s a point that I say.”
Three Spaniards — Nadal, Robredo and No. 4 David Ferrer — all advanced to the quarters. A fourth Spaniard, Marcel Granollers, meets Djokovic in the fourth round Tuesday.
“I think it’s great,” Nadal said. “I think it’s great new for the Spanish sport, the Spanish tennis. Is great that we were able today to win very hard matches, all of us, in a very tough conditions. That’s because we really were ready for the fight.”
As for Federer, tennis fans and journalists will continue to debate the question of who is the Greatest of All Time.
Federer holds 17 career Majors to 12 for Nadal.
But Nadal holds a 21-10 head-to-head advantage on Federer, including a 7-6 edge on hardcourts and a 6-2 advantage in Slam finals.
If Nadal were to win the Open he would have 13 Majors, and is likely to win at least a couple more.
Federer, meantime, may never win another.
Nadal was also asked about Rod Laver, the only man to win two Grand Slams (1962 and ’69) — all four Majors in one calendar year — and said he is also in the conversation for the GOAT.
“Rod Laver is in the picture,” Nadal said. “If I have to say something about Rod, if we can compare Roger with another one to be the best of the history, is with Rod Laver because he won two times, no, the Grand Slam, so then he didn’t play the Grand Slams for few years because he turn professional, so he was not able to play. So he won once, and then he played again another time and he was able to win.
“In theory, during that years, that going to be the best years for him. So he would have the chance to win as much as Roger did. You never know.”
