The Roger Federer era is officially over. The Swiss great brought the curtain down on his spectacular career in a “super special” match alongside rival Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup.
But he was denied a fairytale ending, coming up short for Team Europe in a crushing loss to Team World duo Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock in a match that concluded well after midnight in the London’s O2 Arena.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion, dogged by a knee injury, has not played since the 2021 Wimbledon quarter-finals and announced his retirement at the age of 41 last week.
But the dream doubles pair shook off the rust to take the youngest American pair to a match tie-break, losing 6-4 6-7 9-11, after Sock and Tiafoe saved a match point.
Federer was left in tears after the match concluded, and many of the 17,500 fans in attendance also left wiping their eyes.
Federer’s parents made a rare appearance, with his wife and family also in the stands, as well as other greats like Rod Laver, John McEnroe and Stefan Edberg.
An emotional Federer said in a trembling voice: “We’ll get through this somehow, won’t we?”
“It’s been a wonderful day,” he said. “I told the boys, ‘I’m happy, I’m not sad’. It feels great to be here and I was pleased to tie my shoes again. It was all for the last time.”
He joked: “Although I thought something was going to go off, I was going to drop a calf, or lock a back or something,” but added that he was happy to come out unscathed.
“I think it’s a celebration,” he added. “It’s exactly what I expected.”
“It was a perfect trip, I would do it all again.”
Tears streamed down his face during an emotional farewell interview, especially when he talked about his family’s support throughout his incredible career. “My wife has been very supportive … she could have stopped me a long time ago, but she didn’t. She kept me going.”
Federer (L) and Nadal sent fans into a frenzy with a stunning pair of doubles.
Although Federer and Nadal showed signs of rust, there was no shortage of incredible moments, including an early move in the match where Federer managed to hit a shot through a small hole where the net was caught in the support post. Although it was declared illegal, the miraculous accuracy of his game left fans and even European teammates like Novak Djokovic speechless.
The superstar duo also shared plenty of jokes during the exciting match, with Nadal at one point saying between games: “It’s amazing when you’re not playing doubles, how slow you are at the net.”
The Swiss great has enjoyed a historic rivalry with the Spaniard for almost two decades – their first meeting on the ATP Tour came in 2004 – and together they have won 42 Grand Slam singles titles in a golden era for the male game
The pair played 40 times, including nine Grand Slam finals, with Nadal holding a 24-16 winning record, but this time they were on the same side of the net in the Ryder Cup-style event.
The six-man European team also includes Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, the other two members of the so-called “Big Four”, in a fitting climax to Federer’s career.
Switzerland’s Roger Federer (left) and Spain’s Rafael Nadal (right) of the European team share a joke. Source: AFP