The historic career of the first man to win 20 major championships is over.
Roger Federer ended his 24-year dominance on the tennis court after he and Rafael Nadal lost in the doubles match to Francis Tiafoe and Jack Sock in the final tiebreak, 4-6, 7-6 (2), (11-9) at the Laver Cup Friday in London.
Sock hacked a massive forehand to put an end to one of the greatest male tennis players in the sport’s history. But with Federer’s celebrity career reaching its climax, the 36-year-old was full of emotions but a sense of gratitude for now. “I’m going to do it all over again,” emotional Federer said in a post-match interview.
The five-time US Open winner shared a touching moment with his family that included a warm hug with his wife, Mirka, along with a warm moment with his mum and dad.
“My wife is very supportive,” Federer said. “You could have stopped me a long time ago, but you didn’t. You kept me going and let me play. Thank you.”
Federer also shared a moment with every member of Team Europe along with watching a video presentation highlighting his career, which he loved so much.
“We’ll get through this somehow,” Federer said. “I’m happy, not sad. I’m glad I made it through without cracking any muscle.”
22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal was among Federer’s biggest rivals in the sport drenched in tears After Friday’s game and seeing his teammate’s career conclude.
Federer finished his first career in a big match win (369) while he finished second in the number of wins (1,251), titles (103) and finals (157), according to ESPN Statistics and Information. He won six Australian Open singles titles, eight Wimbledon singles titles, and held the number one spot in the tennis rankings for 237 consecutive weeks, while also being the oldest ever (36) to be number one.
Federer’s tears were moments of joy. “It feels like a celebration,” Federer said. “That’s exactly what I wanted in the end, exactly what I was hoping for.”
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