(Tennis news) A tearful Federer waved goodbye in what was his final match of his professional career. The 20 time Grand Slam champion partnered alongside Rafael Nadal but succumbed to a 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 11-9 defeat to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in front of a capacity crowd at the O2 in London. At the conclusion of the match, Federer and Nadal embraced in a lengthy hug before the 41 year old was given a standing ovation by the crowd.
In the on-court interview after the match, Federer said “We'll get through this somehow. Look, it has been a wonderful day. I told the guys I'm happy, I'm not sad. It feels great to be here and I enjoyed tying my shoes one more time. Everything was the last time. Funny enough with all the matches, being with the guys and having family and friends, I didn't feel the stress so much even if I felt something would go during the match. I am so glad I made it through and the match was great. I couldn't be happier.
“Of course playing with Rafa on the same team, having all the guys here, the legends, Rocket (Rod Laver), Stefan Edberg, thank you. It does feel like a celebration to me. I wanted to feel like this at the end and it is exactly what I hoped for so thank you. It has been a perfect journey and I would do it all over again. Thank you everybody. I've had so many people cheer me on and you guys here tonight mean the world. My wife has been so supportive… she could have stopped me a long, long time ago but she didn't. She kept me going and allowed me to play so thank you. She is amazing."
The match began with Federer appearing to be at his vintage best, but couldn’t maintain that level as Team World levelled the score after being 2-0 down. Unfortunately for Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe, who were forced to play villains in the match, the crowd at the O2 and arguably the world wanted the iconic duo of Federer and Nadal to win the game, but fittingly, Team USA fought hard and deservedly secured the win.
Despite Federer’s long absence due to his knee problem, the Swiss player showed excellent footwork and shot making ability, helping his team edge out the opening set by breaking Tiafoe’s serve. With a combined age of 77 and 42 Grand Slam titles between them, the tennis veterans fell back early in the second set and were dragged into an intense tie break. With the crowd chanting “Let’s go Federer, lets go”, the 41 year old served an astonishing 116 mph ace and a fantastic drop shot, but the pair still fell short of their opponents at the end.
Also read: Roger Federer to play last competitive match in Laver Cup doubles
