"Oh my God, I'll be there, whatever it takes" - Roger Federer recalls 'emotional' phone call with Rafael Nadal before Laver Cup retirement
Roger Federer revealed that calling Rafael Nadal on the phone and requesting the Spaniard to pair up with him for the Laver Cup was an emotional moment for him.
The Swiss maestro teamed up with Nadal for his farewell match at the 2022 Laver Cup, where he was subjected to a rousing reception from the packed stands at the O2 Arena in London. Though the American pair of Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock defeated the legendary pair, it failed to sour the occasion.
In a conversation with host Trevor Noah on The Daily Show, the 41-year-old opened up about his farewell match back in September and about the phone call with Nadal to inform him of his retirement and invite him to the tournament.
Federer stated that he was unsure if the Spaniard would accept his invitation to take part in the Laver Cup as the Mallorcan was about to become a father at the time. Upon receiving the invitation, however, Nadal conveyed that he would be part of the event and pair up with the 20-time Grand Slam champion no matter what.
"I had to call him and tell him, hey Rafa (Nadal), just before we make any other plans, I would love you to be at the Laver Cup and play maybe one last doubles with me. He's like 'oh yeah, oh my god, I'll be there, whatever it takes.' He's now become a father. I'm so happy for him. And we were not sure if he was going to make it because of the baby," he recalled.
Federer and Nadal had an iconic on-court rivalry back in the day, but off the court, both have always maintained a friendly relationship. Both were left in tears after the Swiss' retirement match in London.
"I knew it was going to be incredibly emotional" - Roger Federer upon witnessing Rafael Nadal and other legends of the sport turn up for his retirement match
The reception that Roger Federer received from fellow players in his farewell match exceeded all expectations.
The Swiss star said that he was extremely delighted to see Nadal and other legends of the sport turn out to be a part of his retirement and stated that he knew the occasion was going to be "incredibly emotional."
"When he (Nadal) showed up, and Novak was there, and Murray was there and Bjorn Borg was there and everybody was there. It was an amazing moment and then I knew it was going to be incredibly emotional," he said.
The 41-year-old revealed that he was grateful to have wrapped up his career in London, a place where the eight-time Wimbledon champion has had so much success during his career.
"I was so happy, I was able to be there in tennis clothes because that was in my vision. For me to be there with the mic in the light and tell everybody 'this is it.' And it was amazing to do it in London too, where I had so much success," he added.
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