For one final time, Roger Federer will feel the knots in his stomach as he faces the long wait before a big match. It is not a feeling he will miss but at least it is one he will not have to do alone. Federer’s retirement from tennis is a historic moment for a sport he has helped define, but it will not be the lonely experience he once feared. Instead, at the O2 Arena in London, the city that has been the “most special place” of his career, the Laver Cup will host the scene of a sport coming together to bid farewell to perhaps its greatest champion.
It is fitting, and a career that has been defined by poise and grace will have a closing chapter that strikes the right balance between competition and commemoration. That does not mean his decision has been easy. The allure of a final Wimbledon appearance lingered in the distance, and the acceptance that his body could no longer comply with the physical and mental demands of one last injury comeback brought with it the hardest moments of his decision. Since facing the crossroads and taking the turn, though, it has been clear to him that it was the right one.
