Roger Federer has stated he wanted it to seem more like a party than a funeral prior to playing his final match at the Laver Cup.
“There is no such thing as a fairytale ending”: Roger
“There is no such thing as a fairytale ending,” said Roger Federer, who has officially retired at age 41 after an exceptional career spanning over 25 years and featuring 20 Grand Slam titles and a statesman’s role, is pleased with how things went in his final event. At the O2 Arena in London, Federer and Rafael Nadal’s doubles team was defeated by Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6(2)-7, and 9-11.
“We all hope for a fairytale ending. Here’s how mine went: Lost my last singles, Lost my last doubles, Lost my last team event, Lost my voice during the week, Lost my job,” Federer wrote on Instagram. “But still, my retirement could not have been more perfect and I’m so happy with how everything went. So don’t overthink that perfect ending, yours will always be amazing in your own way.”
Federer departs the sport second only to Jimmy Connors in the Open era
The latest of Federer’s three surgeries to heal his right knee occurred soon after he lost in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July 2021, marking his formal exit from singles. This prompted Federer to conclude his tennis career.
With 1,251 victories in singles matches and 103 tour-level titles overall, Federer departs the sport second only to Jimmy Connors in the Open era, which began in 1968. With his return to the top place at age 36 in 2018, Federer set records for both the longest period of time at No. 1 and the number of consecutive weeks (his total week’s mark was eclipsed by Djokovic).
The dominance Federer displayed at the height of his powers is unrivaled, including reaching 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals, winning eight, from 2005-07, a run that also extended to 18 of 19 major finals into 2010.