The day that all tennis fans feared has arrived on September 23, 2022. At the O2 Arena in London, Roger Federer played the last official match of his legendary career. The former world number 1 had announced his decision to retire in mid-September, being aware that he could no longer compete at the highest level.
The Swiss published a beautiful letter on Instagram, in which he thanked his fans and all those who contributed to his success. The King had tried a timid return to the circuit in 2021, playing just 13 official matches and undergoing yet another operation on his right knee after Wimbledon.
As the months passed, it had become increasingly clear that the Maestro would not be returning to play at the top level. The 20-time Grand Slam champion said goodbye to tennis played at the Laver Cup, the exhibition he founded himself in 2017.
The 41-year-old from Basel intends to organize several exhibitions in the coming years, in the hope that the condition of his knee improves. In the latest edition of the podcast hosted by Marion Bartoli, Ivan Ljubicic revealed how Federer’s life has changed since his retirement.
Ljubo opens up on Federer
While speaking to Marion Bartoli on her podcast, Ivan Ljubicic mentioned that Roger Federer has continued to train and would like to have fun on the court as feels his best there. “He still practices when he can, he is still staying active, and he feels good.
His life hasn’t changed much. I know he would like to have fun on the tennis courts, that’s the place where he feels the best,” said the Croat. Former World No. 1 Andy Murray recently reflected on Swiss legend Roger Federer’s farewell during the Laver Cup held in London.
“I think the way it was done was brilliant, him finishing alongside Rafa just kind of felt right, and I really enjoyed the week and getting to spend some time with those guys again, there has hardly been any tournament in the last four or five years where all of us have actually competed in the same event, primarily because of injuries and age,” Murray said.
“So yeah, it was great to be a part of that and it was obviously really sad to see him go but that’s what happens in sports. Get to a certain age and your body is not able to do what it once did and it’s tough and it’s brutal but he seemed totally at peace with the decision,” he added.
