The great tennis champion bids adieu to the sport at 41 after playing his final professional match at O2 Arena on Friday night. Roger Federer played alongside his famous rival, Rafael Nadal, in the doubles match for the Laver Cup. Despite their loss against Team World’s Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock, 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 9-11, Federer sounded extremely content with his last match: “It does feel like a celebration to me. I wanted to feel like this at the end and it is exactly what I hoped for so thank you.”
The photos of Federer and Nadal crying at the end of the match have taken the internet by storm, and people can’t get over the emotions. Whether it was the emotional situation or the music playing, it got the two outstanding players to break down to tears.
Roger Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champion
Roger Federer, the Swiss former Professional Player, is considered one of the best tennis players in the world. With several titles under his name, Federer retires a happy and successful man. He played his last match teaming up with his rival, Rafael Nadal, against whom he has played 40 matches. Their rivalry is extremely popular in the tennis world, and Federer could not have asked for a more special teammate for his last match.
Federer hugged the 3 other players after the match before he began crying. Being Federer’s last competitive match, Nadal was also moved to tears after the match was over. While their on-court dynamics are competitive, the pair are definitely friends, as can be seen by their emotional interaction after the Laver Cup match.
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