Roger Federer has had a huge impact both on and off the tennis court, having been perhaps the most popular tennis of all time. The 20-time Grand Slam champion retired in 2022 at the Laver Cup, receiving a truly heartbreaking tribute from his fans and biggest rivals at the O2 Arena in London.
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The former world number 1 has had several knee surgeries to try and get back into competition and a last dance on the ATP tour, but the Swiss legend has realized that his body was no longer able to withstand certain efforts. The former Swiss champion played his last big season in 2019, when he narrowly missed out on a Wimbledon Championships triumph by losing to Novak Djokovic in the final after having two match points in a row on his valet.
After that terrible disappointment, the legend from Basel played the 2020 Australian Open and reached the semi-finals despite some physical problems. After skipping the second part of 2020, Roger tried to get back in the next year playing some tournaments without great results.
Federer was defeated by Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, before stopping again for a new knee operation. That against Hurkacz was his last match in singles, since at the Laver Cup he played only in doubles side with Rafa Nadal.
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Federer made history
It is no coincidence that the King is the idol of many young players today, having approached tennis precisely thanks to the exploits of the 20-time Grand Slam champion. The rivalry between Federer and Nadal has transcended tennis, before the arrival of Novak Djokovic who broke all records in mens tennis.
These days the ATP 500 in Basel is being played, a tournament in which Roger has always been a great protagonist. The former world number 1 won his last ATP title in Basel in 2019, when he won the tournament without losing a set. During the press conference after his win over Holger Rune in Basel, young French ace Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard who will face Ben Shelton for the title today - talked about Federer: "Yeah, I drew inspiration from Roger Federer winning the Swiss Indoors Basel a record ten times, but I was sad when Rafa lost against him in 2015. So I mean, yeah, I like Roger but I do prefer Rafa. He also added: "Both players are great, amazing. And yeah, they inspired me when I was young and I just try to be as good as them.
Just as Nadal was at the last event of Federers career in 2022, fans and insiders are wondering if the Swiss will be attending the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga to celebrate his former rival. The 22-time Grand Slam champion decided to represent his country for the last time before he said goodbye to professional tennis.
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The 38-year-old from Manacor had his last dance in 2024, but the results were not up to his expectations. At one point, Rafa had opened up the possibility of continuing to play next year but eventually changed his mind. If we consider that Andy Murray retired this summer at the Paris Olympics, we are sure that the end of an era has really come.
Two huge champions
During a recent interview with AS, Rafa selected Roger as his greatest rival: Djokovic is the player I have faced the most, but for me, my biggest rival has been Federer. Because, when I arrived on the ATP tour, it was Federer who was there and he was the first. In the years when I was at my best in every sense of the word, it was Roger and Novak. But in the first years, which are the ones that leave a special mark on you, Roger was always there.
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I think, and I dont know why, that my rivalry with the two of them has been more intense than the one they had between them. I dont know exactly what the reason is, but I feel that the world perceives it that way. We would have to find the reason. With Roger, I am clear that it is because it was a very sharp contrast in styles and ways of seeing and approaching the sport.
And with Novak, of course, it has been an incredible challenge. In the end, he is a player who has managed to maintain a very high level of play and improve every year. The numbers say that he is the best, so his tennis level has also been the best and, in addition, he is the one who has managed to stay the furthest away from injuries.
