"I love the fact that he cries after he won big moments and big matches and his speeches" - Kim Clijsters on her favourite Roger Federer moment
Kim Clijsters has picked the human side of Roger Federer - his cries after big matches and his speeches - as her most enduring memories of the retiring Swiss star.
Federer, 41, is widely regarded as one of the best players in the sport's history. Debuting in 1998, he has carved out a niche for himself with astounding numbers like 20 Grand Slam titles, six ATP Finals, 28 Masters 1000s, and 237 consecutive weeks as World No. 1.
However, Federer's legacy goes far beyond numbers and his greatness transcends the sport. Renowned for his signature one-handed backhand, Federer hasn't been in action since injuring his knee at Wimbledon last year. Last week, the Swiss star announced that the upcoming Laver Cup will be the final tournament of his illustrious career.
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During an interaction with EuroSport, Clijsters said that besides the 'beautiful' tennis matches Federer has played over the years, she will remember him for his human side - the outpouring of emotions after winning big moments and matches. That's something she hopes to explain to her progeny.
“I love the fact that he cries after he won big moments and big matches and his speeches," said Clijsters. "Those will by far be my favourite Roger Federer moments, besides all the beautiful tennis matches that he's played. I think it's the human side of it, the personal touches to everything that he's done is what I will appreciate and explain to my kids.”
Federer has played 1526 singles matches in his 24-year career, winning 1251 of them. Only Jimmy Connors (1274) has won more matches than the Swiss. It remains to be seen if the former World No. 1 adds a few more to his tally at the Laver Cup, where he has said that he will only play doubles.
"It is sad to see him retire, but at the same time, you feel so lucky to have been able to witness it" - Kim Clijsters on Roger Federer
Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters were contemporaries on the tennis tour. Although she's two years younger than Federer, Clijsters made her WTA Tour debut in 1997 - a year before Federer did on the ATP Tour.
"You always want to play forever... [but] I know everybody has to leave the game."
@rogerfederer explains the 'bittersweet' emotions of retirement.
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"To see what he's done, and the way that he's carried himself through it all, and the way that he grew and became this incredible elegant tennis player on and off the court," said Clijsters.
While it's sad to see him retire, the Belgian feels lucky to have been courtside when Federer was part of some of the biggest moments in the sport's history.
"Very funny, it's so great. And again, it is sad, right? It is sad to see him retire but at the same time you feel so lucky to have been able to witness it. I feel really lucky that I've been able to sit up close on courts where he's been playing finals against Rafa and big moments in tennis history," she said.
Roger Federer will team up with his 'Big 4' colleagues - Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray at the O2 in London as Team Europe seek to go 5-0 against Team World. Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Cameron Norrie complete the team's lineup, while Matteo Berrettini is the alternate.
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