“For us to go through a career that we’ve both had and come out the other side and be able to have a good relationship is probably a great message not just for tennis, but for the sport and maybe beyond.” Having announced last week that he would retire from the Laver Cup in London, Federer said he would only be able to compete in the doubles due to limitations with his surgically repaired knee. He will play one match on Friday, the opening day of the tournament, and then finish after more than 1,500 matches and 20 grand slam titles since his debut in 1998. “I was in a very anxious, scared place to face the music, the media, the fans and everything,” Federer said. “Being able to talk about it in a normal way without getting emotional, just because I know how much it means to me.” No retirement is easy, but the final stages for Federer were particularly tricky. His final singles match will go down as a brutal loss to Hubert Hurkacz in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year, his knee giving out as he lost the third set 6-0. Federer underwent surgery in August and began rehab with the goal of returning to full competition, only for more complications to arise. “You’re starting to get too pessimistic. Then I also got a scan that wasn’t what I wanted it to be. At some point you sit down and go, “Okay, we’re at an intersection here, at a crossroads, and you have to make a turn. In what way is it?’ I wasn’t willing to go in the direction of, “Let’s risk it all.” I’m not ready for that.” ‘A sad day for tennis’: Andy Murray pays tribute to retiring Federer – video For so long, he was known and admired for how he managed to avoid serious injury. He said he always thought he would finish his career without surgery, but has had to settle for three knee surgeries starting in 2020. He says it doesn’t hurt when he plays, but the last few years have left mental scars that have helped guide him. in retirement. The best of our sports journalism from the last seven days and a heads-up of the weekend’s action Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Although he considered announcing his retirement before the US Open, Federer decided he wanted to be present and finish on the right note. The Laver Cup, the event owned by his management company, Team8, was a fitting venue. It’s at London’s O2 Arena, where he won two of his ATP Finals titles, and it’s in the city that defined his career after winning his first grand slam title at Wimbledon in 2003 and a men’s record eight Wimbledon titles. “Having all the other guys around me, I felt like I wouldn’t feel alone announcing my retirement,” she said. “Not that I wanted to steal that event or anything, but I always feel sorry for the players who sometimes retire on tour, say, ‘I’ll play another match’, then at some point you lose and you stand there. all alone.” In his latest event, that won’t happen. “Here I’m trying to prepare for one last double and we’ll see who it’s with,” he said. “I’m nervous going in because I haven’t played in so long. I hope to be somewhat competitive.”
