Before playing his last match at the Laver Cup, Roger Federer had said he wanted it to feel more like a party than a funeral.
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Roger Federer, who has now retired at age 41 after a superlative career that spanned nearly a quarter-century and included 20 Grand Slam titles and a statesman’s role, says there’s nothing called a fairytale ending but he is happy with how things went in his last tournament.
Federer, who played alongside Rafael Nadal, lost 6-4, 6(2)-7, 9-11 the doubles match to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe at the O2 Arena, London.
“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.
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“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’s surgically repaired right knee — the last of three operations came shortly after a loss in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July 2021, which will go down as his official exit in singles — forced him to put an end to his tennis career.
Federer leaves the sport with a total of 103 tour-level titles on his substantial resume and 1,251 wins in singles matches, both second only to Jimmy Connors in the Open era, which began in 1968. Federer’s records include being the oldest No. 1 in ATP rankings history — he returned to the top spot at 36 in 2018 — and most consecutive weeks there (his total weeks mark was eclipsed by Djokovic).
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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.