The last game of Roger Federer’s career will be a brace in the Laver Cup on Friday night, the Swiss announced at a press conference on Wednesday, adding that he hoped to be …
The last game of Roger Federer’s career will be a Laver Cup double on Friday night, the Swiss announced at a press conference on Wednesday, adding that he hoped to team up with arch-rival Rafael Nadal.
“It’s an event that I didn’t want to interrupt but, at the same time, I know my limits and I asked Bjorn (Borg, captain of the European team) if it was possible to only play a double, and so it would be Friday night,” he said. the legend of tennis.
The captain of the “rest of the world” team, John McEnroe, and the tournament management also agreed, with the six players on each team generally having to play one or two of the nine singles on the schedule.
Six days after the announcement of his imminent retirement, the player with 20 Grand Slam titles chose, at the age of 41, this team match between Europe and the rest of the world, in London, to exchange the last balls in the competition.
“I’m preparing for the last one-two, we’ll see with whom,” he added with contained emotion.
“Obviously I’m nervous for not having played for so long, I hope to be competitive”, he crashed after a year and a half of absence from the field trying to heal his right knee.
If his partner has not yet been officially named, everyone dreams of seeing him associated with Rafael Nadal, with whom the rivalry has long dotted the circuit, although Novak Djokovic and others have since come into play.
“Obviously it could be a very unique situation if that happens,” Federer admitted, emphasizing the unique relationship between the two men.
“We have fought for so long, but there has always been this respect between us. Even our families, our coaching teams get along well,” he said.
“Having this good relationship is also a great message for the sport and beyond and for that reason it would be great if that happens. It would be a very special moment,” he said.
hap / gk
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