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'I will throw hands': Tennis stars burn Federer and Nadal for 'merger idea'

Riley Morgan
·Sports Reporter
·4-min read
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer fist pump after a point.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer of Team Europe celebrate as they watch the singles match at the Laver Cup. (Getty Images)

Canadian rising star Vasek Pospisil and American Jamie Hampton have cut down both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal after accusing the pair for taking credit for a plan that was already present.

Federer sparked a frenzy on Wednesday when he called for a merger between the ATP Tour and WTA, with lower-level professionals in deep financial crisis because of the sport's shutdown due to the coronavirus.

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The 20-time grand slam champion received overwhelming support and Nadal was another big name to claim the pair have been talking about these plans during lockdown.

However, Aussie star Nick Kyrgios was one of the first tennis players to slam the idea.

Kyrgios emphatically rejected Federer’s call to unite the men’s and women’s tennis tours under one governing body.

Now Canadian star Pospisil - who is on the ATP Players Council - is the latest to burn Federer and Nadal after accusing the pair of taking the limelight for an idea that has been well in the works for years.

Pospisil’s Tweet appeared to mock Federer and Nadal for raising the idea, when the council have already been working on it since January.

American player Hampton was even more critical after claiming the pair were jumping on an idea, which Billie Jean King has been at the forefront of for decades.

Many fans around the world also found Federer’s comments confusing when King has been lobbying for one tennis body for years.

Kyrgios rejects merger idea

Aussie Kyrgios was the highest-profile player to immediately question Federer’s tweet

The 20-time grand slam champion received overwhelming support from many players, however Kyrgios was not among them.

Kyrgios responded ‘Yes’ after Federer tweeted: “Am I the only one thinking that now is the time for men’s and women’s tennis to be united and come together as one?”

After some confusion about what Kyrgios was referring to, the Australian clarified his stance.

“Did anyone ask the majority of the ATP what they think about merging with the WTA and how it is good for us?” he later wrote on Twitter.

Despite some backlash, many fans were happy to see both Federer and Nadal advocating for a merger of the ATP and WTP, which included King herself.

The tennis season was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the hiatus will continue at least until mid-July, depriving lower-level players, who depend solely on tournament winnings, of the chance to earn a living.