Roger Federer spotted using crutches during Laver Cup, Casper Ruud says the Swiss' introduction gave him "chills"
Roger Federer was seen leaving the TD Garden in Boston, home of the 2021 Laver Cup, on crutches after Friday's set of matches. Federer was in attendance for the match between Casper Ruud and Reilly Opelka and the Swiss received a standing ovation when his name was announced midway through the first set.
The 40-year-old recently underwent a third surgery on his knee and it was believed that he would follow the proceedings of the Laver Cup from the comfort of his home. However, the Swiss' passion for the event seems to have given him the motivation to travel all the way to Boston.
It is pertinent to note that Federer has been pictured doing numerous promotional activities and interviews for the event, but Friday was the first time the 20-time Major champion was seen walking with the help of crutches.
Watching Roger picked up the crutches and slowly walked off makes me 🥺😢😠#federer #LaverCup https://t.co/RFcvtIT798
🥺
🎥Dr.joulak https://t.co/gWUgbXngcc
In the videos, Federer can be seen walking quite gingerly while using the crutches, especially when going down the stairs.
While announcing his decision to have surgery, Federer had mentioned that he would need crutches for some time, but the fact that he was seen with them broke the hearts of millions of fans.
Roger Federer receives a standing ovation from the Laver Cup crowd
Roger Federer was officially announced to the crowd at the TD Garden midway through the first set between Casper Ruud and Reilly Opelka.
The announcement of the three-time Laver Cup champion's name was met with deafening roars from every corner of the stadium. Hearing the applause, Federer stood up to acknowledge the passionate Boston crowd.
A welcome guest.
#LaverCup | @rogerfederer https://t.co/cUzgTSRzlZ
After Ruud beat Opelka, the Norwegian was asked how he felt during Federer's introduction. Ruud pointed out that the crowd rightfully went berserk upon seeing Federer on the big screen, before adding that their reaction gave him goosebumps.
"I think I was at 3-1, I believe, in the first set, and I was about to return," Casper Ruud said. "They showed him on the screen. Everyone went nuts, like he deserves. The crowd was going crazy, and it gave me chills. You know, my hair was rising on my arms. You know, I was in the match mode, but still, it's something you can't block out from your feelings."
"It gave me chills."
@CasperRuud98 reflects on the moment @rogerfederer was announced to the Boston crowd.
#LaverCup https://t.co/tPtEU2Bnc4
Marveling at the overall experience, Ruud admitted that it was nice to see Federer back in a tennis arena, even if he was not playing. The Norwegian believes the Swiss deserves all the applause he gets during the Laver Cup since he is the brainchild of the event.
"So that was, yeah, like I said, it gave me chills," Ruud added. "Was an extremely fun experience for me. It's great to see him, like I said, on court back in tennis arena. Even though he's not playing, he's always a big part of the tennis world. This event, especially he was one of the guys who made it all happen and started it, so he deserved all the crowd cheer he gets."