Roger Federer Bows Out After Laver Cup Exit

41-year-old Federer ended his 24-year professional career alongside the greats.
13:15, 24 Sep 2022

Roger Federer brought his unique brand of balletic elegance and grace to tennis for 24 years – but with good friend and longstanding rival Rafa Nadal by his side on a doubles court, a 17,500 capacity crowd at London’s O2 Arena bore witness to the Swiss sporting titan’s last dance on Friday night. 

The 41-year-old Federer didn’t want to leave the ball – and it was well past the pumpkin hour and into the small hours of Saturday morning by the time he and Spaniard Nadal – with just the 42 grand slam singles titles between them – went down 7-5, 3-6, 9-11 in a third set super tiebreak against Americans Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock in the fourth and final Laver Cup tie of the day. 

But there was no defeat here. The entire tournament traditionally bringing together Team Europe and Team World has practically been set up as a celebration this year – to honour one of the greatest tennis players and sportspeople of all time. And through his tears as the occasion and esteemed company present overwhelmed Federer, he acknowledged it was the perfect setting. 

Playing with Nadal, with team-mates Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray cheering him on, team captain Bjorn Borg providing calm counsel and Rod Laver and Stefan Edberg in a crowd creating a carnival atmosphere, this was how Federer had dreamed it ever since more knee surgery looked certain to hasten his departure. 

For someone that hadn’t played a competitive match for 15 months since an uncharacteristically tame and painful surrender at Wimbledon in straight sets in the quarter-finals to Hubert Hurkacz, there was still plenty to admire and flashes of brilliance. Federer held all five of his regular service games. Could he still beat players in the top 200, top 100, top 50? Quite possibly.  

But the truth is the physical wear and tear and tour treadmill have taken their toll, and for a legend with records and titles to burn and nothing to prove, it seemed the perfect moment to exit stage left. A generation of fans have been treated to Federer’s dazzling, spectacular and unique repertoire of shots. And he dragged the standard of Nadal, Djokovic and Murray up with him to create the greatest era in men’s tennis. 

If there is a sporting pantheon of superstars that not only won but did it with a special style and panache, then Federer is unquestionably in there with the likes of Tiger Woods, Ayrton Senna, Lionel Messi, Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt, Frankie Dettori and Ronnie O’Sullivan. The shy ball-boy at his home Basel tournament in the early 1990s did good with his 20 grand slam singles successes, 103 ATP titles and 320 weeks as world No1. 

Having hugged everyone in his team at least three times, the hugely emotional eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer’s bottom lip was starting to wobble, and an on-court interview with Jim Courier finished him off completely. But he did manage to get out: “It has been a wonderful day – and I told the guys I am happy and not sad. It feels great to be here. 

“I enjoyed tying my shoelaces one more time – everything was for the last time today. I did think that something might go physically, that I might pop a calf or block my back…so I am very happy I made it through. The match was great, wonderful. Playing with Rafa, and having the guys in the team here, all the legends…Rod Laver…Stefan Edberg…thank you. It has made it amazing. I didn’t want to feel lonely out there. But it has been the perfect journey and I would do it all over again.” 

Nadal and Djokovic already have more grand slam titles to their name and there could yet be more – but the Spaniard, who proudly his all attempting to deliver Federer a winning send-off, had his own poignant words as the clock ticked towards 2am on Saturday morning. He said: “I arrive on the tour, and when I started to be better player, then was Roger always there in front of me. For me was always the guy to beat. 

“So at some point we were the biggest rivals - I think always in a very good way. We respect a lot each other, families, teams. I mean, we never had big issues, no? But is true as you get older the personal relationship gets better and better, and we approach life probably similar. I am very proud to be a part of his career in some way and to finish our career like friends after everything we shared on court like rivals.” 

The evening had begun with Murray, unusually being cast in the role of warm-up act, just being edged out in an excellent and hard-fought singles contest against Australia’s lightning-fast Alex Di Minaur, who came from a set down to win in another third-set super tiebreak. And that set the stage perfectly for an icon that changed tennis to take his final bow. 

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