There was likely not a dry eye inside The O2 Arena when Roger Federer’s tennis career came to a close in the 2022 Laver Cup.
While the Swiss superstar had prepared fans with an announcement of his retirement more than a week ago, it did not stop the flow of tears running from the many eyes of spectators. Federer and his biggest rival, Rafael Nadal, lost in a doubles match to Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock in a dramatic tiebreaker, 4-6, 7-6 (2), (11-9) in Day 1 of the tournament on Friday. It marked the second time the two paired up with each other as they did so during the 2017 Laver Cup.
But as the moment sat in for emotional Federer that his career was ending, Nadal was also lost in emotion.