Who would have thought at this stage in their careers that Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer would still be battling for the No. 1 ranking?

Roger Federer is 36 and Nadal just turned 32. At their ages, their careers should be winding down but it is as if they have a renewed fire in them.

The last six Grand Slam titles have been won by the two rivals with three apiece.

Not only are they swapping Grand Slam wins but also the No. 1 ranking. This year alone the two greats have traded the No. 1 spot four times with a potential fifth happening after this week.

After taking the clay season off, Roger steps back onto his favorite surface on the grass courts in Stuttgart on Wednesday.

Currently, Federer is only 100 ATP points behind Rafa. If Roger can win three matches in the tournament then he will reclaim the No. 1 spot for an amazing sixth time and would start a remarkable 310th week at No. 1 on Monday.



If Federer does make it back to No. 1, it may be short-lived though. In winning Wimbledon in 2017, Roger has 2000 ATP points to defend at next month’s Wimbledon. Nadal only made it to the fourth round last year, leaving him with only 180 ATP points to defend. If Roger doesn’t win it all and Nadal can go deep in the tournament then we may see yet another shift.

It should be an exciting last half of the year as we watch the rivalry continue between these two future Hall of Famers. How much longer can they continue at this level? All I know is that I am going to be greedy and say I am not ready for it to end. Thank goodness neither are they.

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Photo Credit: Fox Sports

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