Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, believes Roger Federer will not win a Grand Slam next year.
Federer has won 20 Grand Slams titles during his career, winning his first at Wimbledon in 2003 and most recently at the Australian Open this year.
Over the past two years, Federer has sat out the French Open to conserve his energy for the other 'majors' and he'll likely to do the same again next year.
Toni Nadal feels the physical demands of best-of-five-set tennise are likely to put the majors out of reach for 37-year-old Federer.
"What can we expect from 2019?" says Nadal, in his column in El Pais newspaper. "I find it hard to see Federer lifting another Grand Slam cup.
"Obviously, I do not say it for his game, although I do say it for the toughness of the five-set tournaments. I have to confess that I said that on other occasions and the Swiss, repeatedly, surprised me."
Uncle Toni thinks the rise of young players like German Alexander Zverev will make it hard for Federer to add to his collection of 20 major championship titles.
Zverev made headlines earlier this week, when he beat Federer and world number one Novak Djokovic in sucessive matches to win the ATP Finals in London.
"For some time, I had my doubts about whether the youngsters would be able to overcome the game of Federer on grass, the one of Djokovic on fast courts and the one of Rafael on clay.
"And I had the impression that the change would be caused rather by the decline of some than by the attack of others. The final in London has made me think about it.
"For now, for the coming year, I trust in the full physical recovery of Rafael. I feel new episodes of his rivalry with Djokovic and, in general, a more open panorama with the definitive incorporation of the new generation."
Federer will try to win his third consecutive Aussie Open title in January next year.
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