Roger Federer ended an outstanding career at the 2022 Laver Cup after a doubles match with Rafael Nadal. A picture of the two great rivals crying together and holding hands went viral on social media, and Mister Perfect explained the gesture in an interview with the New York Times.
Roger Federer thanked Rafael Nadal for his hand
Federer and Nadal pushed each other from behind all the time, and they went down in tennis history with incredible performances that are difficult to surpass. Taking the Iberian by the hand, the Swiss said he wanted to thank him for being there for him in the most important moments of his career.
“I saw the picture. It was a brief moment. I think at one point I was so emotional, I was sobbing and I didn’t really understand what was going on. All kinds of things were going through my head, I was so happy that I can experience such moments with dear people who value and care for me.
It was so nice to sit and watch the show (not Ellie Goulding singing). At such moments, you almost forget that you are being photographed, that the cameras are pointed at you.
I think because I couldn’t speak at that moment because of the emotion and the fact that there was singing, I touched Rafa’s hand as a sign of thanks. “Encoded gratitude”. There were magical moments that meant a lot to me” – Roger Federer for the New York Times.
Rafael Nadal explains the tears after the end of the career of rival Roger Federer
*Photo source: Ella Ling / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
VIDEO PHOTOS Lifelong rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal wept as the Swiss retired from tennis – stunning photos from Laver Cup 2022
Roger Federer’s dream career
- Born on August 8, 1981 in Basel, Switzerland. 1.85 meters, 85 kilograms.
- Finished the year in 1st place in the seasons: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009.
- A right-handed player performs a one-handed backflip.
- 103 ATP titles in his career, including 20 Grand Slams and 28 Masters.
- In his career, he has 1251 wins and 275 losses. He earned $130,594,339 from tennis alone.
- He became the world leader for the first time on February 2, 2004.
Roger Federer and the Grand Slam titles
In an impressive career, Roger Federer collected 20 Grand Slam titles (only Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic surpassed him).
The Swiss won eight times at Wimbledon (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2017), six times at the Australian Open (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2017, 2018), five times at the US Open (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008) and once at Roland Garros (2009).
He also won Olympic gold in men’s doubles (Beijing 2008) and silver in singles (London 2012).
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Source: Hot News RO
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