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‘We can all party together!’: Roger Federer hints at farewell tour after playing the last game of his Laver Cup career and insists he wants to play in venues he’s ‘never played before’
- Roger Federer made the announcement after his Laver Cup match on Friday
- Federer and Rafael Nadal were defeated by Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe
- The 41-year-old said he will thank fans for years to come
- The Swiss maestro announced last week that he was retiring from tennis
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Roger Federer hinted at a possible farewell tour after playing the last professional game of his illustrious career in the early hours of Saturday at the O2 in London.
The 20-time grand slam champion failed to bring the curtain down with a final competitive win after losing 6-4 6-7 (2) 9-11 alongside doubles partner Rafael Nadal against Team World pair Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe at the Laver Cup.
Both Federer and Nadal were in tears at the end of a two-hour and 14-minute fight in which the former world number one squandered match point much to the disappointment of an eager 17,500-capacity crowd.
Roger Federer hinted at a possible farewell tour after playing his last career game on Friday
Not that the final result mattered, with standing ovations for the 41-year-old during his ‘last dance’ and plenty of highlights including an ace from 210km/h and a sensational drop shot winner in the decisive tiebreaker.
Federer had announced last week that the night one doubles match of the Laver Cup, the Ryder Cup-style team competition he hosted, would be his last on the ATP Tour, but the door has been left open for more chances to see him at tennis. courts around the world, just not in a professional capacity.
‘I have no plans at all like where, how, when. All I know is that I’d love to play in places I’ve never played before, or give thanks in the coming years to all the people who have supported me so much,” he said at a press conference that ended when after 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The Swiss legend was in tears after his Laver Cup doubles ended
‘Because the difficult thing about the Laver Cup was that the tickets were already sold out. You know, the people who might also have wanted to be here didn’t make it.
“Maybe there’s another way we can all party together.”
A comeback defeat was finally publicly admitted last week by Federer after a succession of surgeries on his right knee over the past two and a half years proved unsuccessful.
It meant the last singles match of his career took place at Wimbledon last year, where he lost to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals, but he insisted his retirement, which he agreed to last month, was no longer a scary concept.
He added: “I could always remind myself how amazing this is.
Federer went to court with longtime competitor Rafael Nadal at the O2 Arena
‘This is not the end, end, you know, life goes on. I’m healthy, I’m happy, everything is great and this is just a snapshot. This should of course be the case.
“Weeks ago, I was really so scared of this moment that I was really worried about it.”
While Federer was emotional during his court interview, where he paid tribute to his wife Mirka, he was happy to bow with a friend by his side in Nadal.
The duo went into a long hug after Sock’s winner confirmed defeat before tearing up after a retirement video was shown on the big screens and followed by a performance by British singer Ellie Goulding.
“Not being alone on that pitch for an entire evening helped a lot,” Federer admitted.