Roger Federer said he’ll never dress like Rafael Nadal — here’s why

Rafa Nadal wearing a sleeveless shirt. Not everyone’s a fan.Getty Images/Business Insider

• Roger Federer completed his latest domination of the Aussie Open with a 5-set win in the Final on Sunday, his 20th career Grand Slam title.
• Rafa Nadal stole headlines earlier in the tournament when he wore a sleeveless shirt at the Australian Open recently.
• It is not a look that Federer dares to replicate.
• The reason is quite simple, according to Federer.

World number one-ranked tennis player Rafa Nadal caused a racket this month.

Not because he was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open due to injury, but because he went on the court to play wearing a sleeveless shirt.

It is not a trend we can expect Nadal’s playing rival Roger Federer to replicate. Not because Federer doesn’t love Nadal’s dress sense, but because, he claims, it is an impossible act to follow.

Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.Getty Images

Federer was asked if he would ever go sleeveless, like Nadal. “That’s not going to happen,” Federer said, according to The Telegraph. “You know why, it’s pretty simple.”

The reason? “My arms are not as big as his.”

Federer did add that he “loves” Nadal’s look. And, if you needed reminding, here’s how Nadal’s arms look.

A close-up of the sleeveless shirt.Getty Images

Federer completed his latest domination of the Aussie Open with a 5-set win in the Final on Sunday, his 20th career Grand Slam title. However, before that, he took time out of his schedule to write a letter to Nadal.

“I wrote to Rafa late [on Tuesday] night before I went to bed,” he said. “It was the last thing I did, to make sure he was okay. It was not nice to see a rival and friend go out [with an injury].”