Tears, hugs and glory as Roger Federer finally bows out from tennis

Throughout the final week of Roger Federer’s life as a professional tennis player, he handled his emotions far better than he had envisioned. But at the end of his final match alongside his rival Rafael Nadal, a tense 4-6, 7-6 11-9 loss representing Team Europe against Team World’s Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe at the Laver Cup in London’s O2 Arena, the 41-year-old finally succumbed.

As the tears began to fall, alongside him Nadal wept, too. After 18 years of meeting each other on the court, contesting some of the fiercest battles in the biggest finals around the world, they spent the final moments of Federer’s career on the same side.

Before Federer’s first grand slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, men’s tennis was at a crossroads. As the influence of top US players waned, some believed the immediate future of the sport was bleak. But first Federer arrived, playing in his seemingly effortless way, driven by his endless toolbox of shots and learning how to harness his audacious talents, and then Nadal followed as a perfect foil, his physical, topspin-heavy style marking them as stark opposites.

Between 2004 and 2019, they faced each other 40 times in singles. Their excellence pushed men’s tennis, and each other, to incredible heights, leading to what many consider a golden era when Novak Djokovic joined them to form the “big three”.

Their rivalry has always been professional and friendly, but Federer and Nadal have over time become increasingly close. Nadal’s wife, Maria, is due to give birth to their first child soon, but Friday night’s event meant so much to the Spaniard that he had to be there.

“When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too because of all the moments that he has been next or in