Federer last match youtube11/3/2023 "Honestly," he said, acknowledging that leading into the match there were the sorts of nerves he'd get before a Grand Slam final, "I was so surprised how well I was able to play tonight." I think we are going to be forever grateful to be a part of the GOAT's final match," Sock said, using the acronym for greatest of all time.ĭoubles requires far less movement and court coverage, of course, so the stress on Federer's knee was limited Friday. But it was super fun to just be a part of that match. "Obviously had 99.9% of the crowd against us. Similar reactions arrived merely at the chair umpire's announcement before the third game of "Roger Federer to serve," and again when he closed that game with a 117 mph service winner. They came ready to roar for him, some with Swiss flags, some with homemade signs ("Idol Forever" read one), and they made themselves heard with a wall of sound when Federer delivered a forehand volley winner on the match's second point. They remained on their feet for nearly 10 minutes, through the pre-match warmup, holding aloft phone cameras to capture the moment. He had said he wanted this to feel more like a party than a funeral, and the crowd obliged, rising for a loud and lengthy standing ovation when Federer and Nadal - each wearing a white bandanna, blue shirt and white shorts - emerged together from a tunnel leading out to the black court for the last match on Day 1 at the O2 Arena. "I kind of held it in at first, then fought it off. "For me, just personally, sad in the first moment, when I came to the conclusion it's the best decision," Federer said in an interview with The Associated Press this week about his emotions when realizing it was time to go. His surgically repaired right knee - the last of three operations came shortly after a loss in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July 2021, which will go down as his official exit in singles - is in no shape to allow him to continue. The Swiss star announced last week that the three-day team event, which was founded by his management company, would be his final event before retirement, then made clear the doubles outing would be the last match. I told the guys I'm happy I'm not sad," Federer said. Members of both teams joined together to hoist Federer up in the air. His wife, Mirka, their four children - twin girls and twin boys - and Federer's parents joined him on the court afterward for embraces and, yes, more bawling. Then he mouthed, "Thank you," while applauding right back toward the spectators who had chanted, "Let's go, Roger! Let's go!" during the concluding moments of a match that lasted more than two hours and ended at about 12:30 a.m. "When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving, too," said Nadal, 36, who used the words "sad" and "unforgettable" to describe the occasion.Īs cascades of clapping and yells of affection came from the stands, Federer put his hands on his hips, his chest heaving. There were plenty of tears to go around Nadal wiped his own away, too. When the match and, with it, his time in professional tennis ended, Federer hugged Nadal, then Tiafoe and Sock. "It's been a perfect journey," Federer said. And, naturally, each of those entities' farewells to Federer. Or, better, the farewells, plural: Federer's to tennis, to the fans, to his competitors and colleagues. The occasion was, after all, about the farewell itself. The truth is that the victors, the statistics and the score (OK, for the record it was 4-6, 7-6 (2), 11-9) did not matter, and were all so entirely beside the point. He wrapped up his days as a professional player with a loss in doubles alongside his longtime rival Rafael Nadal for Team Europe in the Laver Cup against Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock of Team World. LONDON - This day, this match, had to come, of course, for Roger Federer, and for tennis, just as it inevitably must for every athlete in every sport.įederer bid adieu Friday night with one last contest before he heads into retirement at age 41 after a superlative career that spanned nearly a quarter-century and included 20 Grand Slam titles and a statesman's role. Roger Federer pairs with Rafael Nadal in last match, falls in doubles at Laver Cup You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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