"Federer finishing alongside Nadal just kind of felt right" - Andy Murray on Swiss maestro's farewell match
Former World No. 1 Andy Murray recently reflected on Swiss legend Roger Federer's farewell during the Laver Cup held in London. The Basel-born superstar hung up his boots after a glorious career laden with numerous accolades, including 20-Grand Slam titles.
Federer partnered with rival and friend Rafael Nadal in his farewell match, a doubles loss against the American duo of Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
Speaking on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, three-time Grand Slam champion Murray opined that Nadal's presence in Federer's farewell match "felt right." He added that he enjoyed his time with the rest of the "Big Four," a term commonly used to describe Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Murray because of their dominance in tennis during the 2010s.
"I think the way it was done was brilliant, him finishing alongside Rafa just kind of felt right, and I really enjoyed the week and getting to spend some time with those guys again, there has hardly been any tournament in the last four or five years where all of us have actually competed in the same event, primarily because of injuries and age," Murray said.
"So yeah, it was great to be a part of that and it was obviously really sad to see him go but that's what happens in sports. Get to a certain age and your body is not able to do what it once did and it's tough and it's brutal but he seemed totally at peace with the decision," he added.
The Brit also stated that Federer's retirement has created a void in the tennis world, and it will take a while to fill the vacuum. He also said that the younger generation will take the baton and "carry the sport forward" in the future.
"He was in brilliant form, and like I said, it was a really nice way for him to finish, and obviously tennis will take a while to recover from that. You know we have young players coming up now; they are brilliant as well, and they will carry the sport forward in the next few years," Andy Murray added.
"I want to keep progressing. This year, I have progressed a lot from where I was" - Andy Murray on his plans for next season
The 35-year-old also shed some light on his plans for the 2023 season. He spoke about how he wishes to continue his progression next year and will be traveling to Florida for his offseason practice.
"I have been chatting a lot about the offseason and the stuff I want to do with my team, and you know, I have that plan in terms of what I am going to do. I am going to go to Florida for the first time in a while. I used to do my offseasons there, and put in some really hard work on my game and physically," Andy Murray said.
"I want to keep progressing. This year, I have progressed a lot from where I was, but if things start to go backwards, performances don't improve, or I am struggling physically. I have to look at things. I am still kind of going in the direction that I want to be and I have got plans to have a good year next year," Andy Murray said.