Roger Federer revealed that he will be playing only doubles at the Laver Cup in London this week.
On September 15, the 20-time Grand Slam champion announced that he will be retiring from the sport and that the Laver Cup – his brainchild event – will be his last competitive event as a professional player.
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The 20-time major champion is excited by the prospect of ending his career in London and is grateful to have the opportunity to retire at an event surrounded by other stars.
"You always want to play forever… [but] I know everybody has to leave the game."@rogerfederer explains the 'bittersweet' emotions of retirement.#LaverCup pic.twitter.com/5HSpnU0VcW
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 21, 2022
“I’m happy to do it here in London. This city has been special to me,” Federer said.
“Maybe the most special place with Wimbledon down the road and here at the O2. I just thought it was very fitting. I have always enjoyed the crowds here as well.
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“Having Bjorn Borg on the bench with me for my final game resonated also in a big way with me.
“Having all the other guys around just felt like I was not going to be lonely announcing my retirement.”
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The Swiss star admitted ending his career alongside Rafael Nadal on court would be fitting if they do decide to join forces for the clash.
Closing this chapter with his teammates by his side 🤜🤛@rogerfederer | #RForever pic.twitter.com/bt5DtiYgg3
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 21, 2022
“It could be quite a unique situation if it were to happen,” Federer said about teaming with Nadal.
“For as long as we battled together to having always this respect for one another, the families, our coaching teams, we always got along really well.
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“For us as well to go through a career that we both have had and to come out on the other side and being able to have a nice relationship I think is maybe a great message as well to not just tennis but sports and maybe even beyond.
“For that reason I think it would be great. I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but I think it could be obviously a special moment.”
"I'm ready to be on your side."@rogerfederer greets teammates @DjokerNole and @andy_murray during their #LaverCup practice on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/YUnYTJRLpz
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 21, 2022
In a historic career, the Swiss star spent a record 237 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings from 2 February 2004 to 17 August 2008, while he lifted 103 tour-level titles, including 20 Grand Slam crowns.
Federer last competed on Tour at Wimbledon in 2021, where he advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to Hubert Hurkacz in what was his final singles match.
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“It was tough, the whole comeback was extremely difficult. I was so far from 100 percent,” he added.
“Reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon (in 2021) was unbelievable for me. The last set against (Hubert) Hurkacz was one of the worst hours of my career,” he added about the set he lost 6-0.
Team Europe hits the practice court with a special trio: Roger, Stefanos and Bjorn.#LaverCup pic.twitter.com/axVcl1w2fi
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 20, 2022
Having made his tour-level debut in Gstaad in 1998, Federer has been a dominant force in the sport for over two decades.
The 28-time ATP Masters 1000 champion admitted he was proud of his longevity at the top of the game.
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