and Rafael Nadal were beaten by Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock at the 2022 Laver Cup final on Saturday, September 2022, which was also Federer’s last match in his career.
Federer and Nadal have shared the court on numerous occasions on the grandest stage over the years, waging an epic tennis rivalry and winning 42 Grand Slams between them.
Novak Djokovic turned up and joined the club, but in terms of this era, the Fedal pair is without a doubt the finest in the sport’s history.
They produced high-level matches in multiple countries and continents.
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But, in 2017, the duo collaborated as a double act for the first time, and it was every bit as incredible as we had hoped.
Federer and Nadal faced Americans Sam Querrey and Jack Sock while representing Team Europe against the rest of the world at the Laver Cup in Prague.
They overpowered the pair in two sets, winning 6-4 1-6 (10-5). The result gave Team Europe a 9-3 lead, and they went on to win the enclosed hard-court tournament 15-9.
It was a dream come true for tennis fans to see Nadal and Federer on the same side.
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Federer and Nadal put on a tough fight against their opponents and were simply brilliant together. The congregation at the O2 Arena went berserk, with Nadal and Federer sharing a hug after winning the match.
Federer, back then, said of his teammate Nadal, “We only ever practiced once together, back at the World Tour Finals, so we don’t show each other a lot. We will always be rivals. But this was something very special, it was an absolute pleasure being on the court with Rafa and seeing his decision-making process.”
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“I understand that people only expect a win from us, but it’s very complicated, we’re playing indoors against the big servers, and I hadn’t played doubles for so long, I was trying to remember what to do. The two of us getting together, our two fan groups having to get together, that was interesting too,” Federer added.
Federer and Nadal are set to reunite for the 2022 edition of the Laver Cup at London’s O2 Arena. He said it would be “wonderful” to come back and play the 36-year-old Spaniard Nadal.
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The 41-year-old Swiss star has announced his retirement from top-level professional tennis following the tournament, which is his final ATP event.
“I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour,” Federer declared on his social media channels, adding, “This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the tour has given me. But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate.”
