Todd Woodbridge: 'Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will be under pressure once..'

• Tennis News
• Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic has been the player of the season so far with 18 wins from as many matches and the eighth Australian Open crown under his belt. Still, the element that has the most significant impact of the season so far is a coronavirus, pandemic that broke up in China and spread across the world, hitting Western Europe and the United States like only a few could have predicted.

The players were ready to rumble at the first Masters 1000 event of the season in Indian Wells but it wasn't to be for them, with a coronavirus canceling both stops of the "Sunshine Double," with the organizers eliminating Miami as well.

The ATP and WTA announced further break after dismissing all the action on clay in April and May, hoping to make a fresh start during the grass swing if the situation with the pandemic becomes better and more controlled. Instead of that, a coronavirus still rages across Western Europe and the USA, making it impossible to stage any kind of events with a massive crowd and forcing the leading organizations of our sport to extend the break at least until the second part of July.

Wimbledon and the entire grass swing had to be put on hold for 2021 and it is unlikely we are going to see any tennis soon, with a great possibility for the rest of the season to be shut down as well. Once the season (or tennis in general) resumes, it will be a fresh start for all the players, missing their regular training and practice sessions for months and returning after the most extended break for most of them.

The doubles legend Todd Woodbridge believes it will be hard for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to regain the form again due to their age, predicting the domination of the 'big 3' is finally over. Also, Woodbridge thinks the current situation will put extra pressure on Rafael Nadal after the restart, missing the entire clay season and having to chase the points on hard courts before the next spring when he can compete on his favorite surface again.

Nadal has won one title so far in 2020, just before the break, while Roger Federer had to undergo knee surgery in February, hoping to return in Halle and Wimbledon but having to spend more time outside the court due to a virus that has turned everything upside down.

"Because of the uncertainty, it makes it hard to see how the three can dominate when they come back because of the age of Roger and Rafa," said Woodbridge. "It also puts more pressure on Rafa and changes all of those storylines that were on the table for 2020."