“It was a very meaningful moment, as a way to thank Rafa. Without speaking at all, just to show him how much his presence meant to me.” Roger Federer he wanted all his greatest rivals to be present on the day he played his last match as a professional tennis player.
In particular, the Swiss legend made a special gesture to simultaneously pay homage to a rivalry that has made the history of tennis and contributed to the growth of the entire movement. Federer actually asked Rafael Nadal to play doubles together and what happened at the end of the match that thrilled the Laver Cup is still imprinted in the minds of every fan today.
Federer and Nadal hand in hand and in tears thinking about what has been and will no longer be.
Roger Federer, the emotional words about Rafael Nadal
In an interview with WELT, Federer recounted that fantastic moment, trying to describe the emotions he felt.
“It was a very significant moment, as a way to thank Rafa. Without speaking at all, just to show him how much his presence meant to me. His wife was pregnant and had had some physical problems after the US Open.
That’s why I told him before the others that I was leaving tennis. I asked him: ‘Do you want to play doubles with me’. As we sat together and Ellie Goulding sang, for the first time there was some peace and quiet and I let it all go.
At that moment you just think that you have been very lucky in life,” said Federer. “It was beautiful: all my family was there, all my friends, the team and all the players. I was surrounded by legends.
Rafa sat next to me and it was special. We are always in contact and recently we were together in the Dolomites filming the video made by Louis Vuitton. It’s a difficult phase for him, but I think he’s actually done well throughout the clay season.
Having lost early on against Alexander Zverev to the Roland Garros, now he can take it easy before the Olympic Games. Obviously I wish him only the best.”
