Nadal coach's massive warning for Federer

Roger Federer has dominated head-to-head against Rafael Nadal this year, but that could be about to change.

Rafa and Roger have shared the spoils in the grand slam stakes in 2017, with Nadal winning the French and US Opens, while Federer won the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Despite Nadal edging Federer in the race for Andy Murray's World No.1 ranking, the Swiss great has dominated the Spaniard whenever they have faced off on opposite sides of the net.

Federer and Nadal have played each other three times in 2017, with Federer owning a 3-0 record, including victories in the final at the Australian Open and in Miami.

Nadal has a 23-14 advantage in their career head-to-head record, but Federer's recent success doesn't sit well with Rafa's new coach Carlos Moya.

"In Miami we tried to change a few things, but it didn’t work," Moya said.

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"It’s about evolving. When you lose two, three, four times to the same guy, you try to find something.

"Unfortunately – or maybe fortunately, I don't know – we haven't had the chance to play against Roger again since Miami, but we look forward to that. Rafa is prepared.

"For me as a tennis fan it’s one of the best matches you can see. I would love Rafa to play Roger. They make each other better.

"For Rafa, having that challenge is something that for sure makes you evolve, makes you improve. You try to look at some of the things that Federer is doing, because what he has done this year at 36 is unbelievable. You always try to learn from the top guys."

Federer has won his last four meetings with Nadal, and will be looking to continue that streak as the tennis greats vie for the No.1 ranking for the rest of the year.

A shootout for the top spot may very well eventuate as Federer and Nadal look likely to come up against each other at some stage during the Asian swing, our year-end Tour Finals.

Former world No.1 Moya joined Nadal's coaching team to work alongside his uncle Toni Nadal in December last year and has helped revitalise the 31-year-old Spaniard's career.

Moya is taking over as Nadal's head coach as Uncle Toni steps away from the role he has occupied since his nephew started playing tennis.

The fellow Spaniard also weighed in on the possibility of Nadal (16 career slams) catching Federer's record haul of 19.

"If he can stay as healthy as he is now, without injury, motivated, looking after himself the way he is, we will be talking about Rafa for years to come," Moya told the ATP Tour website.

"He is a player who broke records as a teenager and who is now breaking them as a veteran as well. This is something we haven't see much in the history of tennis.

"When I joined the team I knew that there was much more to come for Rafa, that if he stayed injury free and continued training with the same motivation, desire and confidence, that the tennis would come."