Roger Federer couldn’t hold back tears after his Laver Cup defeat, alongside his long-term rival Rafael Nadal, his partner on the night, brought his distinguished career to an end.
Even with the tears, Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam winner, insisted he was not sad.
The Swiss recently disclosed that he would bow out from competitive tennis with one final match at the Ryder Cup-style competition, which was his idea. The 41-year-old would have wished he could add one more victory to his illustrious CV.
Team World duo of Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe made sure Federer lost his last game with a 4-6 7-6 (2) 11-9 victory at the 02, but it was still a celebration for the Swiss.
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After the match, Nadal and Federer hugged each other for a lengthy period before a sold-out crowd gave him one final standing ovation despite the clock being well beyond midnight.
‘We’ll get through this somehow,’ Federer said on-court.
