After the ball in his last match, Roger Federer could not hold back his tears, nor could his one-night partner, Rafael Nadal, also overcome by the emotion of the moment.
The image is shocking. Two adversaries, who have fueled one of the greatest rivalries in the history of sport, enduring their sobs holding hands. The evening promised to be difficult for Roger Federer, came to say goodbye on Friday night during a double in his Laver Cup. But it was also for the one he had chosen as his partner, Rafael Nadal. The Swiss and the Spanish, who met 40 times on the circuit, finished the race of the former with the same emotion.
read too
Federer: “If there is no 2003, there are no others”
For Basel, who had just hit his last ball as a professional player, tears quickly flowed. It’s time to hug the members of Team Europe, their captain and their opponents from Team World. The former World No. 1 really didn’t know where to stand, hesitating to get a standing ovation from the crowd before walking onto the court under “Roger, Roger” ever more powerful to greet those who had come to accompany their last fires.
Rafael Nadal
“Roger leaving the circuit, it is an important part of my life that is also leaving”
It was when he sat down next to Nadal for singer Ellie Goulding’s performance that the two men fell in love together. “Roger’s departure from the circuit is an important part of my life that is also leaving, because all the times he was next to or in front of me were important moments in my life”, then explained the Mallorcan at a press conference. he even has “hectic” early in the game in his first service game, he admitted. And he melted at the tears of his rival.
Federer had to find the words on the court to say goodbye at the microphones. His voice broke. And when he was asked a question about his family, he wasn’t sure he could continue: “Do we really have to talk about this? ». It was difficult for him to conclude, in a speech interspersed with sobs and that he drew tears from many spectators present in the stands. The Swiss was almost surprised to manage to line up three months. “In my idea, I didn’t even think I could talk, so I’m not doing too bad”he said, trying to smile.
read too
He turned the microphone, hugged his wife, Mirka, who ” could have [l]’stop a long, long time ago, but [l]’pressed to continue’, their four children and their parents. And then he did one last solo lap of honor to greet the still well-stocked O2 Arena 30 minutes after the end of the double, lost by the “Fedal” duo to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. But the important result in the end was very little, the main thing was in the moments that followed and that passed as he wanted, surrounded by his relatives and his rivals.