Roger Federer arrives in London for the last tournament of his career - the Laver Cup
Roger Federer has arrived in London for the Laver Cup, which will be his ultimate tournament as a professional tennis player. The Swiss maestro, who announced his retirement last Thursday, is scheduled to compete in the tournament for the fourth and final time before he draws the curtains over his illustrious career.
Federer arrived in the British capital in a private jet on Sunday. The tournament will be held at London’s O2 arena in the presence of a vast crowd of tennis enthusiasts and celebrities who look forward to getting a glimpse of the 41-year-old’s last dance.
Roger Federer in London https://t.co/tZrewrxTy3
The 20-time Major winner is expected to initiate his final goodbye on September 22 with a practice session with Team Europe. In the official event, to be held from September 23 to 25, he will be seen competing alongside his biggest rivals – Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray, as well as youngsters Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Bjorn Borg will captain the team and Italy’s Matteo Berrettini will join as an alternate for Team Europe.
“The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour. This is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the tour has given me. But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on earth," Roger Federer wrote in his retirement letter.
The ensemble will fight it out for the title against Team World, which will be captained by John McEnroe. McEnroe's team, meanwhile, also includes Diego Schwartzman, Alex de Minaur, Frances Tiafoe, Jack Sock, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Taylor Fritz. Tommy Paul was recently chosen as the alternate for the team.
2022 Laver Cup completed lineup https://t.co/E3swCPkOZS
Roger Federer has led Team Europe to victory thrice at the Laver Cup
Roger Federer has participated in all but one edition of the Laver Cup. The tournament, which is named after Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, was inaugurated in 2017. The Swiss legend was part of Team Europe in the 2017, 2018, and 2019 events, where it was proclaimed the winner. It has notably won all editions against team World.
The tournament was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Federer chose to skip the prestigious event as he was recuperating from a knee injury. The 2022 Laver Cup will be Roger Federer’s first and final tournament after his 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinals loss to Hubert Hurkacz.
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