Roger Federer saluted tennis played at the Laver Cup, which took place at London’s O2 Arena from September 23-25. The Swiss champion, who had not set foot on the grass since Wimbledon 2021, played his last match with Rafael Nadal against the Americans Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock.
At the end of the match, the 41-year-old Basel player received a splendid tribute and could not hold back his tears (just like Rafael Nadal). The image of Roger and Rafa holding hands went around the world in just a few seconds and went viral.
The King calmly accepted the idea of retiring, knowing that he could no longer compete at the highest levels. His right knee has affected him for the last two and a half years, forcing him to undergo up to three operations.
The Maestro never gave up hope of returning to the circuit, but earlier this summer he had to accept reality. In an interview with ‘AS’, Carla Suárez Navarro analyzed Federer’s enormous impact on tennis and sport in general.
Suarez Navarro praises Federer
“Anyone who loves sports loves Roger Federer. That is his legacy. To say that it is the best of all is a common debate and it is complicated. What is clear is that tennis changed today.
And the sport. When you want to practice one, whatever it is, you want to do it like him, with that elegance, without breaking a sweat. As if he didn’t cost her. We all want to be like him,” she noted. After Roger Federer’s retirement, Carla Suárez Navarro expressed her opinion about the Swiss maestro in an article for El País.
“Whether or not your favorite player. If you love tennis, if you look at it with real attention, you enjoy watching Roger play. His dedication has been such that he amazed different generations. We grew up seeing him overcome, succeed and give us a lesson in values.
He taught us sportsmanship and respect above all else. He showed us that it is possible to reach the top by keeping your feet on the ground. Coinciding at the same time has been special. To be able to compete on the same courts, something unforgettable”, she had written.
Many tennis analysts and coaches have broken down the steps of Federer’s graceful serve. When Federer bends at the waist with his feet parallel to the baseline, no one expects the serve to be as powerful as the one he serves.
