Roger Federer was in a bit of a panic. He knew how high the stakes were as he took the court at Prague’s O2 Arena in September 2017 for a Sunday afternoon match against Nick Kyrgios.
Not only was Federer a founder of the Laver Cup team competition that made its much-ballyhooed debut that year, but he and Tony Godsick, his longtime manager, had worked to design rules that would likely result in a down-to-the wire finish between the team from Europe and the one representing the rest of the world. Federer got what he wanted, but now he had to deliver.
“I knew that if I lost against Kyrgios — and I was down match point — it would come down to a one-set super tiebreaker in doubles for the whole Laver Cup, and it would have been Rafa [Nadal] and me against Kyrgios and [Jack] Sock,” Federer said by phone last week. “It would have been insane. I was so happy that by beating Kyrgios I didn’t have to go through that.”
Federer spoke last week as he prepared to leave for Berlin and this year’s Laver Cup. Earlier in the day he played tennis for half an hour, a luxury these days, but one he still described as “so much fun.” As he reminisced about his favorite Laver Cup memories his voice rose with enthusiasm.
“That first year was definitely a highlight,” said Federer, who won 20 major singles titles, including eight at Wimbledon and five at the U.S. Open. “And, of course, walking out to play doubles with Rafa, there was such high expectation that had never happened before. That was magical.”
It was a momentous time after Federer and Nadal finished their doubles loss to Sock and Frances Tiafoe in London in 2022, Federer’s final match before retirement. As he was saluted by the crowd and his fellow players. Federer and Nadal sat on the courtside bench, clutching each other’s hands and sobbing.
“That was very emotional,” Nadal said, responding to questions from his home in Majorca, Spain, just before the start of the U.S. Open this August. “It was unforgettable. Roger had been a very important person in my professional life, without a doubt, my best rival and at the same time a good colleague on the tour. We created, I think, a beautiful relationship. To have the chance to be there in this great moment saying goodbye to one of the biggest and most important legends of all time in our sport, the feelings were so intense.”
There have been other stomach-churning Laver Cup moments as Team Europe won the first four years and Team World the last two. Alexander Zverev has clinched the title for Team Europe three times.
“It’s obviously special when it’s the deciding match and you have the whole team behind you,” Zverev said in an interview last month. “If you win, you win, and if you lose, you lose, but it’s easier when everyone is supporting you.”
Now that Federer is no longer competing and is on the business end, he is keenly aware of the importance of the spectator experience at the Laver Cup.
“Having now been at Wimbledon as a fan and at the U.S. Open as a fan, I want the experience for the Laver Cup fans to be a great one,” he said. “I think the level of play is so high. I just want to see great camaraderie, unbelievable pictures and footage that comes out of it.”
Two years removed from competition, Federer no longer thinks of himself as a tennis player. But as a tennis fan?
“Honestly, I think I’ve always been a fan of the game,” he said. “I love watching tennis, I still follow the results daily. I try to watch as much as my schedule allows me to. I’m happy that I also ripped the Band-Aid off quickly, didn’t stay home too long and went to tournaments. Because I can see how retired players get used to being at home.
“For me it’s important to go back on the road, go to tennis tournaments, feel comfortable as a fan in a stadium setting, not just at home on the couch.”
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