Emotional goodbye for Roger Federer

It’s been said that legends never die, but unfortunately at some point they do retire. Roger Federer’s long journey in tennis has ended where it all began - in London.

Flashback to 2001 when a 19 year-old Swiss kid glided onto the grass at Wimbledon and upset the seven-time Wimbledon great Pete Sampras in five sets.

Over the weekend a 41-year-old Federer called it a career in a moving ceremony at the Laver Cup in London, after bowing out in a doubles match with longtime friend and rival Rafael Nadal.

The duo lost in their doubles match to Americans Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock 4-6, 7-6, 11-9 in a tournament the pitted The World team against Team Europe at O2 Arena in London.

Quite poetic that it took a ‘World Team’ to defeat Federer - a 103-time ATP title winner. This was the World’s Team first Laver Cup victory in the fifth year of the tournament. The upstart Tiafoe was unapologetic for the win, but had nothing but praise for the 20-time Grand Slam winner.

“No, I won’t apologize, but I will say thank you for having me in this amazing event, you know, what he’s done for the game, also say thank you for what he did for the game. He’s a class act. Happy to know him, happy to call him a friend, happy to call him a colleague and best wishes in his second act”

Nadal said pairing with Federer was something he had wanted for a long time. Although the two had paired up at the inaugural Laver Cup in 2017, they had only hit together in one practice over their illustrious rivalry.

“To have the possibility to have Roger next to me is a huge privilege, and something I wanted to make happen at some point,” Nadal said. “Today was the ideal day to make that happen, no?”

“It’s been a wonderful day,” Federer said in a ceremony after the match. “I said to the guys I’m not sad, I’m happy. It feels like a celebration to me. It’s exactly what I had hoped for.”

Federer - who owns eight Wimbledon titles, six Australian Opens, five U.S. Opens and one French Open title, along with two Olympic medals, dominated men’s tennis in the early 2000s.

From the start of 2003 straight through to the end of 2009 Federer was unbeatable – except when he met Nadal and especially when the two squared off on the Paris clay.

The celebratory night included tennis greats from the past 40 years. Bjorn Borg coached Team Europe and John McEnroe coached Team World. Both coaches said next years Laver Cup will probably be their last.

“This is the fifth year and if we can be one more year at six, three times in Europe and three times in North America, that would be perfect. I’m very happy to do one more, yeah, like John, too, to spend with these great players,” said Borg.

Novak Djokovic was also in attendance and the 21-time Grand Slam winner appreciates what it took for Federer to accomplish what he has done over the years.

“Sadness because one of the greatest athletes of all time is leaving the sport. On the other hand seeing him happy with the way it all played out, I was just very grateful really and privileged to be alongside other Team World and Team Europe players to witness that.

“It’s one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever experienced in my life for sure.”

Djokovic also said he shared Federer’s feelings about family “I understand and emphathize with Roger because I understand entirely what is necessary for you to be on the tour for a long amount of time. It’s an individual sport so people think it’s only up to us, we take the blame and we take the credit which is one part.

“But you wouldn’t be able to do it without your closest ones and he said it beautifully yesterday, his wife Mirka allowed him to play for many years.”

A grand career is over - and this wasn’t the script. The scene was not out of a movie, not set on the center court at Wimbledon, nor a comeback on clay in Paris where longtime rival Rafael Nadal had bested him. No, this final loss was conspicuous in its anonymity.

“The result of our match was irrelevant,” says Tiafoe. “The only thing that mattered was that I stood on the other side of the net.

“Tennis won that night. Roger is such an inspiration, and playing with him was unbelievable. Roger is an even better person than a tennis player, and we will all miss him dearly. Legends never die.”