<\/p>\n
Federer appeared before reporters in London ahead of the Laver Cup, which from Friday to Sunday will face a European team made up of him, Nadal, Djokovic, Tsitsipas, Ruud and Murray<\/b>against another from the rest of the world, made up of Schwartzman, De Mi\u00f1aur, Auger-Aliassime, Fritz, Tiafoe and Sock.<\/p>\n
Impeccably dressed in a navy blue suit and sneakers. The jacket rolled up to the elbows and a white polo shirt that highlighted his tan. Serene and slow as always, but with a mixture of sadness and relief in his voice and a look charged with emotion.<\/p>\n
\nWe never would have thought that I would be sitting here at the age of 41 giving my last press conference.\n <\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n
<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
He recalled his first years as a junior, starting in 1993. “We would never have thought that I would be sitting here at 41 years old giving my last press conference, remembering all the moments and games that I have played,” he said.<\/p>\n
And he claimed to have accepted the difficult withdrawal: “The hardest part (…) is when you realize that it is the end.” “I’m not satisfied, but I’m happy with the decision, because it’s the right one and I’ve thought about it a lot.”<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n\n\nI am not satisfied, but I am happy with the decision, because it is the right one and I have thought about it a lot\n <\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n
<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
Tandem with Nadal?<\/h2>\n
The six players on each team in the Laver Cup, a competition Federer helped create, must play one or two of the nine singles matches scheduled over the three days.<\/p>\n
But, aware of his “limitations”, the Swiss asked to play only “one doubles on Friday night”.<\/p>\n
“Obviously I’m nervous because I haven’t played in so long<\/b>“, he admitted.<\/p>\n
Later he would be replaced by the Italian Matteo Berrettini.<\/p>\n
The captains of both teams, Bj\u00f6rn Borg and John McEnroe, gave their agreement, he said.<\/p>\n
This last meeting, Federer would like to play it together with Nadal, his longest-standing rival<\/b>. “It could be quite a unique situation,” she said, underscoring their mutual respect.<\/p>\n
“Going through the career that we’ve had and (…) being able to maintain a good relationship, I think that’s a great message, not only for tennis, but for the sport and maybe even beyond.<\/b>“, he considered. Therefore, sharing the last balls, “could be a special moment.”<\/p>\n
The organizers will announce the line-up for the first day on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The last time Federer played on the professional circuit was the 2021 edition of Wimbledon, after which he had to undergo knee surgery for the third time.<\/p>\n
This July he returned to the pitch at the All England Club in London, but only to take part in the centenary celebrations of its legendary center court, and to express his desire to play there once more.<\/p>\n
However, it was not possible. “I was getting more tired of having to put in more effort to believe that I was going to turn things around and I started to get pessimistic, then I got a scan result that wasn’t what I wanted,” she explained.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n