As if it were a John Ford western, where the good guys get away with it in a happy as well as nostalgic ending, sprinkled with connotations that recall a better past that will never return, Roger Federer’s career reaches its end in the Laver Cup that begins today. He is excited, in each talk with his European teammates, in each press conference, a different shine bathes his eyes. His knee, punished for more than 20 years of career, can’t take it anymore and in this Laver he will only be able to play a doubles match; a last dance that fulfills his wishes: to play with Rafa Nadal, the tennis player who took him to the limit, his friend. «It’s nice to be in doubles with him; he has been my great rival. It will be very special to play alongside him ». Opposite, as secondary actors in a match where the result matters little, will be Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe representing the World Team. And inevitably, not before eight in the evening, the Swiss will play his last game as a professional at the O2 in London; the city where he became a legend on the grass at Wimbledon. Federer was clear that his goodbye would not be traumatic, that he did not want to leave the sport of his life with operations or lifelong ailments – the product of a frenetic career – before a middle age that already looms. And so he confirmed it at a press conference by pointing out that last summer, in the process of recovering from his battered right knee, when he raised the level of intensity in training he felt that the final moment was drawing near. He was tired. The decision was made. Four old friends The Laver Cup, a competition that Federer himself launched in 2017, works in the image and likeness of the golf Ryder Cup (with the exception that in the Laver, the American team is replaced by a global team). Four old acquaintances coexist in Team Europe, four guys who dominated tennis for two decades, who have 66 Grand Slam titles between them and 933 weeks at number one in the world. Thus, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will be on the same side as Roger and Rafa. And yesterday afternoon, these four legends trained together in an afternoon full of feelings. After the session, Djokovic stated: “It is the end of an era, but his greatness will live forever.” The Serbian was not without reason; Federer’s withdrawal confirms the decline of a custom. After all, despite the fact that Novak still has an enviable physique at 35, Nadal’s battered ankle does not bode well for many more years of career, and Murray’s metallic hip years ago separated him from the elite. A simple goodbye “I’m nervous because I haven’t played in a long time and I hope to be competitive,” says the Basel player timidly, who asked to play only “one doubles on Friday night.” Bjorn Borg (captain of Team Europe) and John McEnroe (captain of Team World) agreed without problems and his substitute in the individual matches will be Berrettini. Meanwhile, Nadal is looking forward to tonight: “After all the incredible things we have shared, being part of this historic moment will be something unforgettable for me.” The end of the domain of these giants is near, the Spaniard, aware of this, closed his meeting with the media with an inexorable phrase: “It is the normal cycle of life”. Related News Tennis standard No Nadal’s confession before firing Roger Federer: “It will be unforgettable for me” MZ | AFP The Balearic, who at the same time built a great rivalry and a sincere friendship with the Swiss, acknowledged feeling happy to participate in a “historic moment” Today tennis says goodbye to a capital man in his history; but beyond his sporting dominance, a guy who did the impossible is retiring, who liked everyone (including rivals and the voracious social networks), who was an example for young people. And without big circuses, with the bonhomie that characterizes him, Federer says goodbye surrounded by friends.
