Rafael Nadal broke down in tears alongside his friend Roger Federer as the Swiss Maestro bid farewell to the sport of tennis.
Federer bid adieu Friday night with one last contest before he heads into retirement at age 41 after a superlative career that included 20 Grand Slam titles and a statesman’s role.
He wrapped up his days as a professional player with a loss in doubles alongside his longtime rival Rafael Nadal for Team Europe in the Laver Cup against Team World.
The pair teamed up to take on Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in the Laver Cup last night, September 23.



The iconic duo just fell short by a scoreline of 6-4, 6-7(2), 9-11.
“It’s been a perfect journey,” Federer said. “I would do it all over again.”
Federer hugged Nadal, then Tiafoe and Sock, then the 41-year-old began crying.
As cascades of clapping and yells of affection came from the stands Federer put his hands on his hips, his chest heaving. Then he mouthed, “Thank you,” while applauding right back toward the spectators who had chanted, “Let’s go, Roger! Let’s go!” during the concluding moments of a match that lasted more than two hours and ended at about 12:30 a.m.
Federer cried as he was congratulated by Team Europe at the end of the match and the camera soon cut to Nadal who was also caught up in the emotions.


Nadal wept as they embraced one another in the middle of the court.
Later, both Federer and Nadal were sat next to one another courtside as they continued to cry while two-time BRIT Award winner Ellie Goulding performed.
His wife, Mirka, their four children – twin girls and twin boys – and Federer’s parents joined him on the court afterward for embraces and, yes, more bawling. Members of both teams joined together to hoist Federer up in the air.
“It’s been a wonderful day. I told the guys I’m happy; I’m not sad,” Federer said. “I enjoyed tying my shoes one more time. Everything was the last time.”
The Swiss star announced last week that the three-day team event, which was founded by his management company, would be his final event before retirement, then made clear the doubles outing would be the last match.
His surgically repaired right knee – the last of three operations came shortly after a loss in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July 2021, which will go down as his official exit in singles – is in no shape to allow him to continue.
For me, just personally, (it was) sad in the first moment, when I came to the conclusion it’s the best decision,” Federer said in an interview with The Associated Press this week about his emotions when realizing it was time to go. “I kind of held it in at first, then fought it off. But I could feel the pain.”
He had said he wanted this to feel more like a party than a funeral, and the crowd obliged, rising for a loud and lengthy standing ovation when Federer and Nadal, who is 36 – each wearing a white bandanna, blue shirt and white shorts – emerged together from a tunnel leading out to the black court for the last match on Day 1 at the O2 Arena.
They remained on their feet for nearly 10 minutes, through the pre-match warmup, holding aloft phone cameras to capture the moment.