Federer retires from tennis in tears after losing the Laver Cup
Despite not receiving a happy finale to his tennis career, Roger Federer calls it a "wonderful voyage."
LONDON: Roger Federer said of his tennis career, "It's been a beautiful ride," despite not having the fairytale conclusion he had hoped for after losing in the Laver Cup doubles with Rafael Nadal early on Saturday morning.
After announcing his retirement last week at 41 due to a knee ailment, the 20-time Grand Slam winner last played in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2021.
Although he had been sidelined for a long time due to injury, the Swiss showed flashes of his old smooth self in the match against Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock of Team World at London's O2 venue.
The two former world number ones, playing alongside longtime friend and adversary Nadal, won the first set to the ecstatic cheers of a vibrant, hostile audience, but the Americans came back to win in three sets, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 11-9.
As a result, after the first day of the Ryder Cup-style competition, Team Europe and Team World were tied at 2-2.
"Isn't it true that we'll make it through this? Right?" Federer stated in a choked-up farewell on the court after the match.
"I don't feel any sadness; rather, I feel joy. Having arrived, I took pleasure in fastening my shoes for the final time. It was like the very last time. Really, I couldn't be more pleased with how the match turned out. Amazing, truly."
A heartfelt "Thank You."
Throughout their nearly two-decade-long rivalry, Federer and Nadal, now 36 and from Spain respectively, have won a combined 42 Grand Slam singles titles, ushering in a golden age for the men's game.
The match began late on Friday and was a fitting send-off for Federer, who started his professional career over 25 years ago.
The crowd went wild when the Swiss tremendous and Nadal walked out onto the black court in blue shirts, white shorts, and matching white headbands.
Amid chants of "Let's go, Roger, let's go!" at 3-3, both doubles teams served very well to start the match.
After ten games, Federer and Nadal finally had their first break point, and they took full advantage by winning the opening set when Sock missed a backhand.
The Americans won relatively quickly when the second set went to a tie-break, bringing the score to a stalemate.
In a nail-biting tie-break match, Tiafoe and Sock eventually prevailed after Federer failed to serve for the victory at 9-8.
The Swiss teammate hugged and congratulated Nadal, and the player waved to the fans.
Federer thanked everyone, including his parents, wife Mirka, and their four children, for the opportunity to play on the same team as Rafael Nadal.
He says, "It does feel like a celebration to me." "This is precisely how I anticipated feeling at the conclusion, so thank you. A fantastic trip; I wish I could do it again."
Nadal, who was similarly overcome with emotion, admitted that he had struggled to deal with the event's significance.
The Spaniard reflected on their time together, saying, "For me, it has been a big honour to be a part of this amazing moment in the history of our sport and at the same time a lot of years sharing a lot of things together."
Having Roger leave the tour is like having a big part of my life and departing with him.
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, two of the men's "Big Four," are also on Team Europe.
The 'vacuum' left by Federer.
Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer has decided not to play any singles matches this weekend, and Italian player Matteo Berrettini will fill in for him as an alternate.
Europe, who have won the last four Laver Cups, are up 2-0 following the first day of play in London, with victories from Casper Ruud of Norway and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.
Tsitsipas beat Diego Schwartzman of Argentina 6-2, 6-1, despite an on-court protest by a man who set his arm on fire to protest the usage of private aircraft.
Even though Federer was the main attraction, everyone watched Murray's grueling 5-7, 6-3, 10-7 loss to Alex de Minaur in the evening session.
The Swiss player retired 19 years after winning Wimbledon in 2003.
He leaves the game with a men's record of eight Wimbledon wins, 103 titles, and more than $130 million in prize money, all winning with grace and accuracy to his truly unparalleled playing.
Even though Nadal (22) and Djokovic (21) have won more Grand Slams than Federer, Team World captain John McEnroe remarked that Federer's retirement will create "a hole that will never be replaced."
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