The life of Roger Federer closed on Friday, September 23, the last day at the Laver Cup. To be honest, the Swiss champion has played the least of the last two seasons due to a serious right knee injury. The former world number 1 suffered three operations, but the champion was never able to return.
The 41-year-old from Basel had attempted a timid comeback last year, playing just 13 official matches and revealing his unstable situation at the very least. After the blow against Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon, the king opted for a new intervention with the intention of riding his last.
As the months passed it became increasingly clear that such a return would never happen. In the early afternoon of October 15, the 20-time Grand Slam champion announced his decision to hang up his rackets. The resonance carried out in July actually convinced him to say enough.
In an interview with ‘Love Tennis Magazine’, Claude Onesta – the former coach of the French national team – had wonderful words for Federer.
Onesta gives Federer
“I appreciate Roger Federer’s style and standing, which in the modern game, compared to the players and the candlesticks, makes it possible to maintain this model; tennis has kept this image of the model and Federer represents it perfectly.
Tomas Berdych spoke candidly about former rival Roger Federer. “Those who wanted to compare the greatest aces by numbers would find reasons for different players. The number of Grand Slam titles may be an objective measure, but there are athletes who have left a great mark.
I think Roger will leave a bigger mark than Djokovic. I think he’s a bigger icon than Nadal. Perhaps because it began this great age. What he did for tennis cannot be outweighed by any results,” Berdych said. After Federer’s departure, Berdych stated that many fans watched the match and even started playing because of the Swiss’ skill and performance on the court.
“There were many who kept the match or started playing because of his skill and respect on the court. This is what makes him superior to others. Although of course I can understand if a fan finds something special about Nadal, Djokovic or other players,” he said.
The Swiss Maestro took to Instagram to share some highlights from the last tournament of the career of the famous men. Sharing the photos on his official Instagram handle, he said, “We all hope for a fairytale outcome. Here’s how mine went: I lost my last haters, I lost my last double, I lost my last team, I lost my voice for a week, I lost my job.”