Retired Swiss star Federer and Nadal faced each other 14 times at Grand Slam tournaments with Nadal holding a 6-3 advantage in finals.
The 38-year-old Nadal last month announced he was putting an end to his glittering tennis career after the Davis Cup final
Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal is aiming to cap his emotional farewell from tennis with another Davis Cup triumph in Malaga next week.
Carlos Alcaraz said he was hoping to make Rafael Nadal's tennis farewell at the Davis Cup Finals a victorious one after he was dumped out of the ATP Finals at the group stage with a straight-sets defeat to Alexander Zverev on Friday.
Novak Djokovic implored long-time adversary Rafael Nadal to put off his planned retirement after defeating the Spaniard Saturday in what was likely to be the final chapter of their "amazing rivalry".
The 38-year-old Nadal announced last week he would retire from tennis after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month.
Nadal, the winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, announced last week that he will retire from tennis after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month.
As a child Alcaraz had watched Nadal and was grateful for the "immense gift" of playing alongside him at the Paris Olympics earlier this year which was held at Roland Garros.
When a teenaged Rafa Nadal bounced in to Roland Garros in pirate pants and sleeveless shirt in May 2005 before scything through the draw, few realised it marked the start of an unprecedented era of sporting domination.
Rafael Nadal claimed a dominant straight-sets win over world number three Milos Raonic to advance to the semifinals at the Australian Open on Wednesday.
Rafael Nadal's ageing legs outlasted German teenager Alexander Zverev in an epic five sets as Serena Williams sailed into the last 16 at the Australian Open on Saturday.
Rafael Nadal powered into the second round of the Australian Open with a commanding straight-sets win over Germany's Florian Mayer on Tuesday.
World number ones Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber were named the top seeds on Thursday for next week's Australian Open with organisers aligning with the current rankings.
Rafael Nadal says the emergence of a new generation is just what tennis needs, while welcoming back old foe Roger Federer to help him keep them at bay.
Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal hopes a dramatic change to his longstanding schedule will lead to success in the Australian Open later this month.
Australia's Nick Kyrgios is booed off court in a tanking row at the Shanghai Masters as Rafael Nadal crashes out and Andy Murray motors into round three.
Rafael Nadal storms through his opening match of the China Open as he seeks to redeem his injury-blighted season with a strong run in Beijing.
Mo Farah, Rafael Nadal and Justin Rose are among athletes targeted in the latest leak of confidential medical documents that the world anti-doping agency (WADA) says were hacked by a Russian cyber espionage group.
Rafael Nadal describes Stan Wawrinka as "super dangerous" after he clinched the US Open to claim his third Grand Slam title