The image of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal sitting together in tears on their Team Europe bench in the early moments of Saturday morning was worth a million. 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. Federer did not want to risk his knee in London, entering only one doubles match and picking his great rival Rafael Nadal as his partner. "My body's message to me lately has been clear," Federer said. If Federer can win the next two points, hell serve for the championship. If Federers retirement is a reminder that all things must pass, his career and its impact are also reminders of how long our choices linger after were gone. All rights reserved. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Nadal messed up the first couple of serves, but he and Federer laughed it off before taking a 1-0 lead in the first set. Federer hits a high, slow, deep arcing forehand to reset the point. Federer bid adieu Friday night with one last. Now its 4 games to 3, and were at deuce, with Nadal serving. His family and Nadal were visibly crying in response to Federer's words, and Federer himself couldn't hold back the tears as he gave his final post-match interview. Sep 15, 2022 After battling Roger Federer on the court for much of the last two decades, Rafael Nadal paid homage to the legend upon his retirement announcement on Thursday. The battle continued as Tiafoe and Sock fought back. Federer 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. Federer Opens Up On ICONIC Friendship With Nadal..Welcome back to Sports Culture. section: | slug: roger-federer-loses-final-match-before-retirement-playing-alongside-rafael-nadal-in-doubles-at-laver-cup | sport: tennis | route: article_single.us | After battling Roger Federer on the court for much of the last two decades, Rafael Nadal paid homage to the legend upon his retirement announcement on Thursday. He faced a break point at 4-4 in the opener, and he and Federer saved it before breaking Tiafoe in the next one to clinch the opener 6-4. In the middle of that set, the pairs were going back and forth for a while when Nadal ran to chase a ball hit by Tiafoe but got there a little too late. Now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career," he added. Federers retirement this past weekenda deeply moving affair in which he played doubles with Nadal as his partner, and then held the Spaniards hand as both men cried while the arena paid him tributewas largely symbolic. "It's a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world," wrote Nadal. at Has Permeated the Molecules of Its Atmosphere, the greatest mens tennis match of all time, 2003 dismantling of Mark Philippoussis in the Wimbledon finals, What the Craziest Gymnastics Meet Ever Augurs for the U.S. Women, Brian Kellys LSU Is the Future of College Football, The Real Joy in the Phillies Improbable Run to the World Series. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider "As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries, Federer told his fans in a video released on Twitter. Roger still did not know if he would play in London, but he made it in the end and competed alongside his great friend and rival one more time. I had been watching Roger Federer play for 14 years at that point. READ MORE: Rafael Nadal crashes out of Paris Masters with opening loss to Tommy Paul Djokovic would like to retire in the same way Federer did (Image: Getty) "We shared the stage together for . Everyone was waiting for him to really make good on his promise, since it seemed potentially limitless. Roger Federer's retirement hasn't made his fellow Big Four colleagues consider hanging up their own racquets. Listen to The Refresh, Insider's real-time news show. Sock landed a forehand down the line winner to send Roger into a well-deserved retirement. Writing about Roger Federers retirement is a nearly impossible task. Roger Federer retired at the Laver Cup, with Rafael Nadal playing by his side. It was one of only six times in Federers entire career that a player had kept him from winning a single game in a set. Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, announced his retirement on Thursday in a Twitter video. Had I been following tennis I wouldve known he had made a huge splash two years before when he beat Pete Sampras, the thenGreatest Player of All Time, on grass (Sampras best surface). The 20-time Grand Slam champion lost alongside his longtime rival Rafael Nadal in Friday's doubles match at the Laver Cup, the last match Federer will play before retirement. The tables have turned, Nadal is now on the defensive. Nadal tries first, finally getting a ball he can hit to Federers one-handed backhand. Wimbledon to relax dress code policy for female players, Srdjan Djokovic takes aim at Roger Federer, Chris Evert identifies reason for Cori Gauff's poor WTA Finals showing, Rafael Nadal arrives in Turin ahead of ATP Finals, Mats Wilander: "Carlos Alcaraz has a big weakness, Sharapova visits "otherworldly" US location with fiance, Djokovic reacts, Iga Swiatek makes honest admission regarding shock loss to Aryna Sabalenka, Stan Wawrinka reflects on 'crybaby' feud with Roger, Mirka Federer at 2014 ATP Finals, Petra Kvitova explains why she finds Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer likable, Serena Williams' husband moved by his daughter Olympia's dedication to him, Coco Gauff leaves Serena Williams to join LeBron James and Michael Jordan, Fort Worth Dickies Arena crowdless: Iga swiatek very disappointed. Tennis legend Roger Federer announced his retirement from competitive tennis on September 15. "Dear Roger, my. During the period of Federers fleeting GOAThood, it was impossible not to read him as a symbol of one kind or another. But there was a separate part in his retirement statement . The crowd audibly gasps in shock. The 41-year-old Federer is older than 36-year-old Rafael Nadal and 35-year-old Novak . Roger Federer has opened up on the iconic photo of him holding hands with R. Traditionally, this has been how Nadal beats Federer. Together, the men became known as the Big Four, a group whose dominance of mens tennisseriously, the statistics are mind-bogglinghas led many to label this period the sports golden age. I mean, one of David Foster Wallaces best known essays is about Federer! Simona Halep reacts to Holger Rune upsetting Novak Djokovic in Paris final, Coach Patrick Mouratoglou shares message to Novak Djokovic, Bernard Langer comments on Phil Mickelson's decision: "I think Phil is..". "My body's message to me lately has been clear," Federer said. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Soon after, Federer will win the championship. He isone of the most decorated players in history, tallying20 Grand Slam titles. Hours after the announcement, Rafael Nadal, his longtime opponenent, took to Twitter to pay tribute. Federer 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. Roger Federer transcended the limits of the human body for longer than most, but the body keeps the score, and eventually it wins. Even during his final match, Federer gave the world more surprising highlights. I told him on the phone that I was probably 50-50 or 60-40 on making the doubles. 2004-2022 CBS Interactive. I was acting in a musical about a sculptor who wants to make a cast of the soon-to-be-dead body of a serial killer who is going to the gas chamber, and the performance space had a bar, and the bar had a television. I just wanted to let him know before he started making some plans without the Laver Cup at all. Roger Federer bid farewell to professional tennis after playing his final competitive match to mark the end of his illustrious career spanning two decades - and there were tears all around.. Fittingly, the 20-time Grand Slam champion chose the Laver Cup as his curtain closer, an international tennis tournament between Team Europe and Team World that Federer helped to create that is in a . Sign up for notifications from Insider! I've worked hard to return to full competitive form. 1" were seen all over the arena. Yet its impact on the sport will be felt for years to come. The Americans claimed it in style and overcame an early deficit and a match point in the match tie break to emerge at the top. The match came down to a tiebreaker, and Sock and Tiafoe won 11-9 in a thrilling, back-and-forth fashion. Just watch it, at the 18-minute mark below. enduring and nearly two-decade-long rivalry. I don't think I would be the player I am today without him as my chief rival.". In a 2018 Vogue interview, Federer affectionately referred to Nadal as his "chief rival," saying, "Playing against Rafa for so many years has been amazing he pushed me to innovate, work harder, and to develop my game. pic.twitter.com/yRoxL7X0jn. Media-trained out the wazoo and stoically neutral in a fashion that surely makes his Swiss parents proud, Roger Federer is not given to letting anything juicy slip by accident in an interview or press conference. At one point, he sent a forehand right through the hole in the corner between the net and the pole. You could be forgiven for wondering if whatever Roger had left in the tank would be enough for the final, particularly since the man on the other side of the net is Rafael Nadal, a man known for grinding down his opponents until, punch-drunk and legless, they collapse under the onslaught of his spinning, lefty forehand. Of the 14 Grand Slam matches between the two legends, Nadal holds a 104 edge. Surely this brilliant athlete, this artist with the racquet, must have deeper, hidden meanings. Signs that read "Forever our No. For years, Federer and Nadal have contested one of the most captivating rivalries in all of sports. Heartbroken, I said, even though I knew it was coming. His eyes also caught a fan taking off multiple shirts to pump up the crowd. Beginning with Federers ascendency, the Big Four wrestled the sport away from the serve-botsplayers who had huge serves and even bigger forehands and could win tournaments while barely seeming to move their legsand ushered in an era of variety that continues today. The 20-time Grand Slam champion lost alongside his longtime rival Rafael Nadal in Friday's doubles match at the Laver Cup, the last. More than at any time since the McEnroe-Lendl rivalry of the early 80s, mens tennis has a sense of individual style and panache from its players. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: tennis | pageType: stories | Despite the loss, Federer expressed his gratitude for the moment and thanked his teammates and family for their support after the match. The Spaniard is hitting the ball with everything hes got while Federer flails to block it back. 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