Federer Teases Laver Cup Finale and a Possible Wimbledon Sendoff
Roger Federer is determined not to say goodbye to tennis without one last appearance on the court. The Laver Cup, a competition born in Switzerland, will stage its farewell at London’s O2 Arena, featuring a partnership with Rafael Nadal. Federer told Swiss public broadcaster RTS that a dream scenario would be to compete in the event, which starts on Friday, September 23, while he continues to train in London for the tournament.
The idea of playing a solo match at the Laver Cup was ruled out by Federer himself. He noted that he trained with Stefanos Tsitsipas on Monday and felt good about his contact with the ball, but emphasized that he would not play a pure singles match due to the long layoff. He acknowledged he has not played a real match in quite some time.
I wanted to extend my career at Wimbledon
In an interview with a Swiss network, Federer revealed that his initial plan was to continue competing at least through the next Wimbledon. However, after medical tests on his right knee in the weeks prior, he decided to retire. He explained that the knee was not progressing as hoped, and the treatment he received did not yield the desired results, leading him to conclude that his competitive journey had reached its end.
At 41, Federer admits the decision was emotionally difficult. He described moments of tears as his aspirations shifted. Still, the Swiss legend intends to remain connected to tennis after stepping away from the court. He said he does not yet know the exact path his future will take, but he does not want to walk away completely. Tennis has given him everything, and he wants to stay involved in some capacity.
Federer is set to team up with Nadal this Friday night at 22:00 on Eurosport. He described the prospect as a dream fulfilled, acknowledging the pressure will be high but stressing that if he does not play, it will still be meaningful. He also told Le Temps that his priority is to thank the fans and let them see him one last time, affirming his willingness to stay available and engaged for as long as possible.
Laver Cup Teams
Federer has participated in every edition since the tournament began in 2017 and has been part of Europe’s team that has not tasted defeat. In this edition, with the Big Three’s three members finally lining up together for the first and only time, captains Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe have assembled the rosters as follows: Casper Ruud, Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, and Matteo Berrettini as a substitute for Europe; and Taylor Fritz, Félix Auger-Aliassime, Diego Schwartzman, Frances Tiafoe, Álex de Miñaur, Jack Sock as a substitute, and Tommy Paul for the other team.
Each team fielded six players, with rules requiring at least one singles match from every player in the first two days. Doubles involvement mandated at least four participants per team. Matches are played as best of three sets, with the final set decided by a 10-point tiebreaker.
Friday’s matches award one point to the winning team, Saturday’s games grant two points, and Sunday’s fixtures bring three points to the victor. The first team to reach 13 points wins the trophy. If a tie persists, a decisive doubles match will determine the champion.
Schedule and Television Coverage
The first two days begin at 14:00 local time on Friday and Saturday, featuring two singles matches and a night session at 20:00 that includes one singles match and one doubles match. Sunday features a full day of play, including a doubles match and potentially three singles matches to decide the winner.
The tournament is broadcast on Eurosport, which holds the television rights through the current season.