“Love how they got rid of you know who” – Fans react to Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer wallpaper replacing Novak Djokovic’s poster at Spaniard’s academy

The revamped space at the Sports Cafe restaurant in Rafael Nadal’s renowned academy in Manacor, Spain has received reactions from fans.

The section solely dedicated to the Australian Open previously displayed images of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, the Rod Laver Arena, and Rafael Nadal. However, as part of the renovation, Djokovic’s poster was removed and a new wallpaper was added in its place.

The updated space now showcases a wallpaper with a picture of Nadal embracing Federer after his first Australian Open victory in 2009, as well as a display of Nadal proudly holding the 2022 Australian Open trophy.

The renovation has sparked a lot of buzz among tennis enthusiasts. One supporter was pleased that Djokovic’s banner was taken down without explicitly mentioning the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

“Gotta love how they got rid off what’s been the only pic of you know who in the whole massive complex…,”the fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The new wallpaper surprised another fan.

“THERES NO WAY”, the fan wrote followed by seven skull emojis.

Another fan took a humorous jab at Nadal by referencing his previous comments from a US Open press conference, in which he stated that he did not want to come across as if he was Federer’s romantic partner.

“Journalist: What do you admire about Roger Federer? Rafa: you know want me to sound like his boyfriend? Also Rafa:”, the fan commented, followed by an image of the revamped space.

A different fan jokingly suggested that Nadal and Federer are getting ready for Pride Month.

“They’re just preparing in advance for Pride Month,”the fan wrote.

Below are additional reactions from tennis fans:

Novak Djokovic on competing without his long-time rivals Federer and Nadal

In March of this year, Djokovic expressed his uneasiness at competing without his usual rivals, Federer and Nadal. This sentiment was shared as he geared up for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

“I remember John McEnroe was saying in one of the documentaries that I’ve seen recently that when Bjorn Borg retired, that he felt like part of him also retired, even though he kept going. That’s, I must say, a similar feeling that I have with Roger [Federer] retiring and Rafa [Nadal] not playing much at all. It’s a strange feeling,”Djokovic said during a press conference (via Eurosport).

Despite Federer announcing his retirement in 2022, it is widely believed that Nadal will also retire at the end of the current season due to ongoing injury issues.