Watch: Tearful Roger Federer bows out of tennis with Laver Cup defeat

Roger Federer described his tennis career as a "perfect journey" despite being denied a fairytale ending early Saturday with a doubles defeat at the Laver Cup alongside long-time rival Rafael Nadal. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, dogged by a knee injury, has not played since the 2021 Wimbledon quarter-finals and last week announced his retirement at the age of 41. Federer showed glimpses of his old self in the match against Team World's Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock to the delight of a feverish, partisan crowd at London's O2 arena. Federer and Nadal won the first set but the Americans rallied to win 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 11-9.

The result meant Team Europe were locked at 2-2 with Team World at the end of the opening day of the Ryder Cup-style event. "We'll get through this somehow, will we? Right?" Federer said with a cracked voice. "I'm happy, I'm not sad. It feels great to be here and I enjoyed tying my shoes one more time. Everything was the last time. The match was great, I couldn't be happier. It's been wonderful."

Federer has enjoyed a storied rivalry with Spain's Nadal over nearly two decades -- together they have won 42 Grand Slam singles titles in a golden era for the men's game.

The pair, who first met in 2004, played 40 times, including in nine Grand Slam finals, with Nadal holding a 24-16 winning record. But in a match that started late Friday they were on the same side of the net in a fitting farewell for Federer, who turned professional nearly a quarter of a century ago. There was a huge roar and standing ovation as the Swiss great and Nadal came onto the black court, dressed in blue shirts and white shorts, both wearing white headbands.

Both teams held serve fairly comfortably at the start of the match, with