Roger Federer said goodbye to the tennis he played last month, playing his last match at the Laver Cup. In the exhibition he founded, the former world number 1 played a double alongside his long-time rival Rafael Nadal. The Swiss phenomenon received a splendid tribute at the end of the match and was able to share that moment with his greatest opponents.
The 41-year-old from Basel tried hard to get back in shape, but his right knee did not respond adequately. The King experienced a timid comeback last year, playing just 13 official matches and stopping again after Wimbledon.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion was hoping to treat himself to a final round of jousting in 2023, but there was nothing to do. In the letter published on Instagram on September 15, the Maestro promised that he will not stray from the sport that has made him a global icon.
In a recent interview for the ATP website, Federer admitted that he was impressed by the messages he received in recent weeks.
Federer expressed a high level of optimism
“It’s been overwhelming to be quite honest, how many nice things have been written about me, a lot of them about my personality and about me as a person,” Roger Federer said.
“Less almost as me as the tennis player, about my forehand or whatever you want to call it.” The Swiss legend stated that the response comfortably exceeded his expectations and he feels content at the end of it all.
“That’s been a wonderful surprise to me that a lot of people looked or supported me because of maybe my character. That was a bit of an unexpected twist to the story. I thought they were gonna talk about his achievements, his accomplishments, what he meant to the game, and that’s it.
But it was much more than that. It totally over-exceeded my expectations,” the 41-year-old added. He further stated that he is confident about the future of tennis, both on the men’s and women’s sides. “The game always creates new superstars and creates great stories.
For me, I never worried about the game,” the eight-time Wimbledon champion said. “For me to now look at the future, I know it’s incredibly bright and we don’t have to worry about it on either side, men and women.
I think it’s going to be great and I will be following closely, ofcourse,” he added. Federer’s legacy, however, is largely independent of his match-ups and struggles against fellow greats Nadal and Djokovic.
