![]() The men begin trading rally balls, neutral shots to the center of the court that dare the other player to pounce. Federer hits a high, slow, deep arcing forehand to reset the point. The Spaniard is hitting the ball with everything he’s got while Federer flails to block it back. Nadal immediately has Federer on his heels. ![]() If Federer can win the next two points, he’ll serve for the championship. Now it’s 4 games to 3, and we’re at deuce, with Nadal serving. Despite all this, Federer has lasted into the fifth set and kept it competitive, ending points earlier at the net and taking the ball on the rise to deprive Nadal of needed reaction time. Nadal has long had the edge on Federer, and has even beaten him on his favorite surface of grass in what many feel is the greatest men’s tennis match of all time. But that’s not going to change anything happening on court. Nadal has also recently been out with injuries, and during both men’s time off the court, a friendship has begun to form that will only grow over the next four years. You could be forgiven for wondering if whatever Roger had left in the tank would be enough for the final, particularly since the man on the other side of the net is Rafael Nadal, a man known for grinding down his opponents until, punch-drunk and legless, they collapse under the onslaught of his spinning, lefty forehand. At 35, he’s one of the oldest players ever to make it to a Grand Slam final, and to get there he had to win grueling five setters against Kei Nishikori (in the fourth round) and Stan Wawrinka (in the semis). It just feels right.One does not normally enter a Grand Slam match after a long time off court with injuries and win many matches, but Federer, ranked outside of the top-15, had been doing just that for the past two weeks. ![]() Appearing next to Nadal, Djokovic, and Andy Murray at the press conference, Federer said, "Sitting here, it feels good that I go first from the guys. His final match with Nadal against Sock and Tiafoe will air live on The Tennis Channel (and streaming through fuboTV) on Friday, September 23, around 3:30 pm ET. ![]() Over the course of his career, Federer won 20 grand slam singles titles and spent roughly four and a half years as the reigning No. "We will do our best to contribute to the team and have a good performance, but at the same time, marvel and celebrate his career because he deserves it in a great way." "Most of us have watched and admired Rogers' success and achievements," Djokovic told the press. Novak Djokovic, the other member of tennis's big three, will also play at the 2022 Laver Cup, though not against Federer. Earlier this year, Nadal even overtook Federer's prized record, becoming the tennis player with the most grand slam singles titles (22!) in the history of the sport. The two titans of modern tennis faced off against each other 40 times in their lengthy careers, with Nadal winning the overall fight, 24–16. Serena Williams is 'Evolving Away' From TennisĪt Thursday's press conference, Nadal said the upcoming match would be "a special thing." He spoke highly of Federer, calling him, "one of the most important players, if not the most important player in my tennis career." Acknowledging that saying goodbye to his frenemy would be difficult, Nadal expressed that he was still "super excited and grateful to play with him.".Just a month ago, Tiafoe upset Nadal at the US Open in a nail-biting four-set match in the fourth round, making it all the way to the semifinals. The two tennis GOATs will face off against Americans Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. ![]() At the time, Federer said he would "always and forever be rivals" with Nadal. The two tennis stars have only played on the same side of the court together once, during the inaugural Laver Cup five years ago. It's a fitting competition to end his illustrious career-especially since he'll play doubles alongside his longtime rival, Rafael Nadal. The exhibition-style tournament, which usually takes place two weeks after the conclusion of the US Open, was created back in 2017 by Federer himself. After announcing his "bittersweet" retirement last week at the age of 41, he'll play his last match at this weekend'sLaver Cup. The tennis world will say its final farewells on Friday afternoon to Roger Federer, one of the most talented tennis players to ever step foot on the court. ![]()
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