The lengthy five-minute standing ovation Roger Federer received on Friday after losing was proof of his extraordinary impact on tennis. It may have been the end of Federer’s career, but it was a fitting way to go out.
The admiration of the audience, which appeared to envelop Federer, moved him to tears.
With scores of 6-4, 6-7, and 9-11, he was defeated by Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in the Laver Cup match at London’s O2 Arena, but he was happy with the outcome and said, “I’m not sad.
Last time, it was enjoyable to lace my shoes. Everything was like before.
After dominating the court for 24 years, winning more than 1,500 games, 103 singles titles, and 20 grand slams, this was Federer’s last competitive match.
Since it began in 2017, the three-day match between teams from Europe and the rest of the world has rarely felt like much more than an exhibition. However, the news of Federer’s retirement gave this weekend’s play some much-needed legitimacy.
The competition, which consists of three doubles matches and nine singles matches fought head-to-head, may have previously only drawn a little interest from across the world, but this year’s edition has unquestionably grown to be one of the biggest tennis tournaments of the year.
This was, of course, primarily because it was Federer’s last match, but it also provided tennis fans with the opportunity to watch a group of players they hadn’t seen in a while: Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray, all of whom were in good health and competing at the same tournament.
After witnessing these four superstars’ social media posts in the week leading up to the event, fans are unlikely to feel sentimental. Instead, the quartet interacted with one another with real camaraderie as they visited London’s sights, acting much like a group of long-lost school friends.
Some fans may have felt a sense of nostalgia after Federer’s long and successful career ended at the 2022 Laver Cup, but it may also have been the beginning of the Golden Age of Tennis.
Since they are all well into their 30s and have all missed considerable amounts of time owing to injuries at some point in their careers, the eventual retirements of Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray now hang over the sport.
These four competitors, dubbed “the big 3 plus some clown” by Murray on his Instagram page, will never again represent the same competition.
The legendary Roger Federer leaves the scene
Federer is unquestionably one of the best three men’s tennis players of all time, but it will be challenging to place his on-court successes among the greatest in the history of the game. Whatever the case, he is undoubtedly the most motivating tennis player to ever pick up a racket.
The stylish Swiss great is the only athlete to have garnered as much international recognition, endorsements, or status as a cultural icon as he did, mostly due to the way he played the game.
Federer appeared to glide rather than rush around the court for most of his career, despite his breathtakingly gorgeous one-handed backhand being arguably the most famous shot in tennis history. Also flowing and bouncing above his headband was his hair.
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His game’s aesthetic attractiveness at the height of his prowess also contributed to his extraordinary success. Pete Sampras was the first player to break the previous mark for men’s grand slam victories, which stood at 14 victories. In addition, he was the first person to achieve the important age milestone of 20.
Although Nadal and Djokovic currently have more grand slam titles than Federer, the outstanding matches these two players played with him during his career only served to solidify his fame further.
The three matches that preceded Federer’s farewell encounter may have been noteworthy on another day – Muray vs. Alex De Minaur was a particularly exciting match – but on this particular day, they merely served as preludes to the main event.
Federer had changed into his shorts and headband in the Team Europe dugout by the end of Murray’s match against De Minaur, which the Australian won in a third-set match tie break to give Team World its first point of the day. This only heightened the anticipation that had been accumulating inside the arena.
In the end, Federer’s loss didn’t matter all that much because the intensity of his goodbye speech, which he could not complete while talking about the support his family had given him during his career, also caused his doubles partner to cry.
