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After a 24-year career that spanned 71 hard court victories, 24 ATP 500 series titles, 237 consecutive weeks as world number one and 20 Grand Slam championships, Roger Federer's illustrious tennis career has come to an end.
Federer competed for the final time in doubles, with his rival and friend Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup in London on Friday afternoon.
Taking on upstart Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock from Team World, 'Fedal' representing Team Europe came out of the gate hot, winning the first set 6-4, including a what-in-the-world shot from the 41-year-old Federer that you had to see to believe.
Roger Federer placed this shot where only Roger Federer could 👀
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 23, 2022
🎥 @LaverCup | @rogerfedererpic.twitter.com/1e19QBKT83
That was far from the only zaniness in the match, as the almost two and a half hour battle featured wizardry from all four players.
This hit by Jack Sock got us like...
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 23, 2022
OMG 😱pic.twitter.com/FwLb5bHXkC
The second set went the way of Team World, 7-6 (2), setting up a winner-take-all 10 point tiebreak in lieu of a final set.
Despite having a match point at 9-8, 'Fedal' was just beaten out in the end, as a Jack Sock winner clinched the victory for Team World, 11-9.
After the match, the waterworks began, with Federer unable to contain his emotions as 20 plus years of memories flooded out.
An emotional Roger Federer steps off the tennis court for a final time ❤️
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 23, 2022
(via @LaverCup)pic.twitter.com/xtmI11vjEI
— out of context rafael nadal (@nadalOOC) September 23, 2022
The internet then exploded with numerous tributes to the great, revered to as the most classy tennis player in history.
There will never be another Roger Federer 🏆 pic.twitter.com/bFrj1mi4Ia
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 23, 2022
Roger Federer signing off ✍️
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) September 23, 2022
Thanks for the magic! pic.twitter.com/qr9Wbw9JTf
As the first man to win 20 Grand Slam titles, Roger Federer is considered one of the greatest athletes ever. https://t.co/dwlYyWeGRH pic.twitter.com/VtAjY6QnGo
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 23, 2022
Watching Djokovic cheer on Federer and Nadal shows how silly the wars between their fan bases have been.
— Stephen Boughton (@theslicestephen) September 23, 2022
They are best ever, and tennis is the greatest sport.
What a celebration tonight 🫶🏼
He may not go down as the greatest of all time and will almost assuredly be entrenched into third place in the Grand Slam race (after Novak Djokovic's 21 and Nadal's 22), but it is unquestioned that the impact Federer had on millions of sports fans will last forever.
Enjoy retirement Roger!
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