Roger Federer at the Laver Cup

Roger Federer admits he 'stopped believing' as he prepares for retirement

By Sporting Life

Tennis

Wed September 21, 2022 · 3y ago

Roger Federer has spoken of how injury forced his decision to retire, admitting he had “stopped believing”.

The 20-time grand slam champion announced last week that he would bring his professional tennis career to a close after the Laver Cup that starts in London on Friday.

Federer, whose most recent competitive match was a loss to Hubert Hurkacz in last year’s Wimbledon quarter-finals, has been struggling with a knee problem.

And the 41-year-old Swiss told BBC Breakfast: “The last three years have been tough to say the least.

“I knew I was on very thin ice for the last year, ever since I played Wimbledon. I tried to come back but there was a limit to what I could do. And I stopped believing in it, to be honest”

"I won't be a ghost or a stranger"

Roger Federer speaks exclusively to #BBCBreakfast about hanging up his tennis racket and what the future holds ⬇️https://t.co/RZtcvJQZlR pic.twitter.com/gZPSWC7v7m
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) September 21, 2022

Federer said that after a scan a few months ago, “very quickly we realised this was it”, adding: “Then the question becomes: how do you announce and when do you announce? This is when it becomes reality. It was OK but stressful.”

Looking to the future, Federer said the immediate plan in retirement is a holiday with his family, and that while he still has to “figure things out a little bit”, he would “love to always mentor children and get a new Swiss superstar going”.

He added: “If I can help the federation a little bit here and there, you know, I can see those things.

“I love this game and I want to stay involved in some shape or form. I won’t be a ghost or a stranger.”

Federer says he is “totally happy to step away” from playing professionally having “totally overachieved in my mind” during his illustrious career.

And speaking about rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who have 22 and 21 grand slam singles titles respectively, and Andy Murray, he said: “All of a sudden there was this beautiful mix, we’re all winning for 10 plus years, all the same tournaments, almost nobody else could win anything else. It was like a lock on the big tournaments.

“So I think, also for the fans, it’s been a joy to watch, and I’m sure some fans will be sad I’m leaving, of course, but then again, there will always be wonderful new people.”

Laver Cup 2022: Team Europe v Team World

When and where?

It is held at the The O2 Arena in London from 23 until 25 September.

What is the format?

Each team has a squad of six players (plus reserves). There are 12 matches played across the three days, including nine singles (three per day) and three doubles (one per day). Each match victory is worth one point on day one, two points on day two and three points on day three - and it's the first team to each 13 points that wins the tournament. All matches are played as best-of-three, with a 10-point tiebreaker if play goes to a third setEach player is picked once or twice for singles, with at least four of the six taking part in doubles. If there's injuries, then reserve players can be used.