A tennis Belle Époque ended 15 September with Roger Federer’s announcement that the Laver Cup in London would be the last event of his glittering career.
And what an emotional farewell it was, on the evening of 23 September before almost 16,500 fans at The O2 Arena.
Playing alongside his greatest rival and good friend Rafael Nadal in doubles in his final professional match, Federer showed flashes of brilliance, thoroughly entertained and competed valiantly before falling to Team World’s Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe, 11-9 in a match tiebreak.
Dry eyes were few and far between as Federer addressed his fellow players, tennis legends, family and fans in one final, memorable on-court interview.
“It’s been a wonderful day. I told the guys I’m happy, not sad,” Federer said.
“I enjoyed tying my shoes one more time, and everything was the last time… I didn’t feel the stress so much, even though I did think something was going to go; pop a calf or block a back or something in the match.
“I am so happy I made it through. The match was great, I couldn’t be happier. It’s been wonderful.”
At 41, following several knee surgeries and a final Grand Slam appearance at Wimbledon 2021, retirement was not unexpected. Like the passing of the Queen, sadness mingled with immense gratitude at having witnessed a magical reign - a tennis unicorn who lifted the game, and enjoyment of the game, to new heights.
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“I was given a special talent to play tennis,” the 20-time major winner acknowledged, “and I did it at a level I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible.”
Federer was a month shy of his 22nd birthday and hadn’t been past a Grand Slam quarterfinal when he broke through at Wimbledon 2003, over Mark Philippoussis in the final. It sparked a 7-0 spree in major finals. (For context, past greats John Newcombe, John McEnroe and Mats Wilander won seven majors in their entire careers.)
The smooth-stroking Swiss, quickly dubbed the Maestro, played a beautiful classic-modern game that revitalised the tennis base and drew countless new fans in a more global era. Hall-of-famers, fellow players and celebrities flocked to see his effortless winners flow from all parts of the court.
When Federer was flying in 2003-07, so was tennis. He was probably the world’s most famous sportsman in his heyday - up with the likes of Muhammed Ali, Diego Maradona and Michael Jordan. His celebrity-studded player box was at times as eye-popping as his play, attracting sporting legends (Tiger Woods), noted writers (David Foster Wallace), music stars (Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale) and other culture heavies. Legendary Vogue editor Anna Wintour was a regular.
Apart from his sublime play, Federer elevated the game with his sportsmanship, his innate sense of PR and a respect for the game’s history and tradition. His media relations set a new professional benchmark as he sat through post-match interviews in English, Swiss-German and French. No player did more press than Federer.
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Andre Agassi once compared the loved-up locker room of the Federer era to the bad old 1980s, when as a young player he would be confronted with Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, noting: “Between them, you wouldn’t get the time of day.” Ricardas Berankis was among several young players who related the experience of being stunned at Federer initiating conversation, and seeming to know something of their background, ranking and recent results.
As a tennis ambassador, Federer has no equal. His PR-gold moments include the match with Agassi on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab high above Dubai; the split court ‘Battle of Surfaces’ duel with Nadal between the greatest-ever grass and clay exponents; welcoming Prince William at Melbourne Park in 2010; the quokka selfie on Rottnest Island that touched off a tourist boom in Western Australia; and the mixed doubles and post-match selfie with Serena Williams at the Hopman Cup.
Federer played much of his career as the acknowledged GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in terms of majors won. He surpassed Pete Sampras with a record 15th major at Wimbledon 2009 and extended his tally to 20 Slams at Australian Open 2018. As arch rivals Nadal and Novak Djokovic hunted down his men’s record-setting mark, we had privileged front-row seats to history: the GOAT duel playing out at every Grand Slam.
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Even as he celebrated that last major victory in Melbourne – “the fairytale continues,” he said – Federer had made peace with his rivals one day eclipsing his records. The thrill, he said, is in achieving the record, not holding it forever. He finishes with losing records against both Nadal (16-24) and Djokovic (23-27). But he will forever be bracketed with them, and those stadium-shaking duels that defined a tennis golden era.
“We pushed each other, and together we took tennis to new levels,” Federer noted. “I was lucky enough to play in so many epic matches that I will never forget.”
How poignant he ended his career alongside the nemesis who first toppled him at Wimbledon and from the top ranking in 2008, tormented him for years on the Roland Garros clay and inevitably surpassed him for GOAT honours.
For one last time, it was Roger and Rafa, but as a doubles team, not Roger v Rafa.
Federer harked back to his first exposure to pro tennis, as a ball boy at his hometown ATP event in Basel: “I used to watch the players with a sense of wonder.” Even as he set a swag of records – and was showered with praise and adoration – Federer never lost his sense of wonder at rubbing shoulders with past greats.
The famous waterworks when Rod Laver presented him with the Australian Open trophy in 2006 were repeated in 2018. “I didn’t see through my tears that [Laver] was taking a picture of me crying,” he said. Bjorn Borg and Sampras cheered from the front row at Wimbledon as he overtook their records. From 2014-15, his travelling coach was former No.1 Stefan Edberg, his boyhood idol.
He thanked Laver and Edberg – who were watching on from the stands – in his final on-court interview at Laver Cup, and wept.
With the founding of the Laver Cup in 2017, Federer formally brought the tennis generations together. The event is another valuable Federer legacy, not least because it ensures his future presence in the game.
As it played out over the weekend and the sun set on the golden Federer era, we enjoyed the afterglow of one last look at the Maestro.
Thank you Roger Federer, the most universally admired and adored of all tennis champions.