Roger Federer had, the Associated Press wrote, “a superlative career that spanned nearly a quarter-century and included 20 Grand Slam titles,” “a new standard that Nadal, now with 22, and Novak Djokovic, with 21, equaled, then surpassed.” “Federer first faced Nadal in 2004 at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami. They battled it out a further 39 times over the years,” the ATP says. “Federer and Nadal played 40 times, including in nine grand slam finals — six of which were won by Nadal,” CNN says. One of them was the 2008 Wimbledon final, which ended with Federer “succumbing to No. 2 Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 Sunday night,” the AP reported, after “a 4-hour, 48-minute test of wills that was the longest men’s final in Wimbledon history.”
By 2022, “His surgically repaired right knee — the last of three operations came shortly after a loss in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July 2021 … — is in no shape to allow him to continue,” the AP wrote; NBC Sports dates “his retirement announcement on Sept. 15.” Then, Federer later told The Daily Show, “I had to call him up and tell him, ‘Hey Rafa, just before you make any other plans, I would love for you to be at the Laver Cup and play one last doubles with me – it would be amazing because unfortunately my knee is not so good anymore and I think it’s the end.’” “Because the 36-year-old was due to become a father soon, Federer said he wasn’t totally sure if they would be able to create this iconic moment,” NBC Sports wrote; Nadal’s first child was born “in early October,” the AP reported. The two had “joined forces only once prior to Friday. That came in the 2017 Laver Cup,” NBC Sports noted, when “the duo unsurprisingly still won the match, 6-4, 1-6, 10-5,” in ESPN’s words.
On Friday, September 23, 2022, at the O2 Arena in London, the crowd rose “for a loud and lengthy standing ovation when Federer and Nadal — each wearing a white bandanna, blue shirt and white shorts — emerged together from a tunnel leading out to the black court for the last match on Day 1,” the AP reported. Across the net was the “Team World pair Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe,” in the ATP’s words. “Federer and Nadal had a match point at 9-8 in the deciding tiebreak but couldn’t take it,” ESPN said, and Federer ended up “losing a knife-edge doubles to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-6(2), 11-9,” the Laver Cup reported, “finishing his final match at 25 minutes past midnight.”
“It’s been a perfect journey,” Federer said. “I would do it all over again.” “Federer was serenaded into retirement by the pop singer Ellie Goulding, who sang ‘Still Falling For You’ and ‘Fire and Ice,’” the Laver Cup says, and Federer and Nadal “sat hand-in-hand while sobbing uncontrollably,” CNN reported. “Obviously I couldn’t speak and the music was there, I guess I just touched him,” Federer later told The New York Times, as CNN quotes him. And Nadal said, “When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too, because all the moments that he has been next to or in front of me are important moments of my life.”
Fact check
The facts and where they come from
- He lost six Grand Slam finals to his fiercest rival, then asked him for one last favor. CNN: “Federer and Nadal played 40 times, including in nine grand slam finals — six of which were won by Nadal.” Associated Press: “40 matches, 14 at Grand Slam tournaments, nine in major finals.” Federer, on The Daily Show: “I would love for you to be at the Laver Cup and play one last doubles with me.” 1018
- His name is Roger Federer. Associated Press: “a superlative career that spanned nearly a quarter-century and included 20 Grand Slam titles”; “The Swiss star announced last week…” 1
- His rival was Rafael Nadal. Associated Press: “a new standard that Nadal, now with 22, and Novak Djokovic, with 21, equaled, then surpassed.” NBC Sports: “calling the Spaniard star.” 18
- They played 40 times in 15 years. ATP Tour: “Federer first faced Nadal in 2004 at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami. They battled it out a further 39 times over the years.” ATP Tour (July 12, 2019): “Federer seized the momentum in his 40th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Nadal.” 34
- Their Wimbledon final in 2008 lasted nearly five hours. Associated Press (July 6, 2008): “succumbing to No. 2 Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 Sunday night” … “a 4-hour, 48-minute test of wills that was the longest men’s final in Wimbledon history.” 6
- After three knee operations, Federer announced he would retire. Associated Press: “His surgically repaired right knee — the last of three operations came shortly after a loss in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July 2021 … — is in no shape to allow him to continue.” ESPN: “Last week, Federer announced his decision to retire from tennis.” NBC Sports: “Following his retirement announcement on Sept. 15.” 159
- He called Nadal and asked him to be his partner one last time. Federer, on The Daily Show, as reported by NBC Sports: “I had to call him up and tell him, ‘Hey Rafa, just before you make any other plans, I would love for you to be at the Laver Cup and play one last doubles with me – it would be amazing because unfortunately my knee is not so good anymore and I think it’s the end.’” NBC Sports: they had “joined forces only once prior to Friday. That came in the 2017 Laver Cup.” ESPN: “the duo unsurprisingly still won the match, 6-4, 1-6, 10-5.” 895
- Within weeks, Nadal would become a father. He came anyway. NBC Sports: “Because the 36-year-old was due to become a father soon, Federer said he wasn’t totally sure if they would be able to create this iconic moment.” Associated Press (November 1, 2022): his wife “gave birth to their first child -- a boy -- in early October.” 87
- On September 23, at the Laver Cup in London, they walked out together. Associated Press: “the crowd obliged, rising for a loud and lengthy standing ovation when Federer and Nadal — each wearing a white bandanna, blue shirt and white shorts — emerged together from a tunnel leading out to the black court for the last match on Day 1 at the O2 Arena.” NBC Sports (September 23, 2022): “a doubles match with Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup in London on Friday.” The ATP’s report is dated September 23, 2022. 193
- Across the net were Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock. ATP Tour: “falling to Team World pair Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.” CNN: “he lost his doubles match against Americans Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.” 310
- The old rivals held a match point. Laver Cup: “Federer and his great friend and rival Rafael Nadal failing to convert a match point.” ESPN: “Federer and Nadal had a match point at 9-8 in the deciding tiebreak but couldn’t take it.” ATP Tour: “saving one match point at 8/9.” 253
- Then they lost, 11 points to 9, after midnight. Laver Cup: “losing a knife-edge doubles to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-6(2), 11-9”; “finishing his final match at 25 minutes past midnight.” Associated Press: the match “ended at about 12:30 a.m.” 21
- “It’s been a perfect journey,” Federer said. Associated Press: “It’s been a perfect journey,” Federer said. “I would do it all over again.” Laver Cup: “It’s been a perfect journey, I’d do it all over again.” 12
- As the music played, they sat side by side, crying, holding hands. Laver Cup: “Federer was serenaded into retirement by the pop singer Ellie Goulding, who sang ‘Still Falling For You’ and ‘Fire and Ice.’” CNN: Federer and Nadal “sat hand-in-hand while sobbing uncontrollably.” Federer, to The New York Times, quoted by CNN: “obviously I couldn’t speak and the music was there, I guess I just touched him.” 210
- “When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too,” Nadal said. Associated Press: “When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving, too,” said Nadal. Tennis.com, from his press conference: “When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too, because all the moments that he has been next to or in front of me are important moments of my life.” 111
Sources
- Roger Federer pairs with Rafael Nadal in last match, falls in doubles at Laver Cup (September 23, 2022) The Associated Press, on ESPN
- Roger Federer’s emotional farewell brings down the house (Chris Bowers, September 24, 2022) Laver Cup
- Federer Plays Final Match With Nadal By His Side (September 23, 2022) ATP Tour
- Federer Beats Nadal, Sets Sights On Ninth Wimbledon Title (July 12, 2019) ATP Tour
- Laver Cup: Roger Federer retires from tennis after playing the final match of his career (September 23, 2022) ESPN
- Nadal outlasts Federer in epic final to halt streak at five (July 6, 2008) The Associated Press, on ESPN
- Nadal focused more on being No. 1 dad than world No. 1 player (November 1, 2022) The Associated Press, on ESPN
- ‘I Think It’s the End’: Federer Reflects on Calling Nadal to Play Last Match of Career (Julia Elbaba, December 8, 2022) NBC Sports
- Roger Federer’s Last Match Ends in Loss With Rafael Nadal at Laver Cup (Sanjesh Singh, September 23, 2022) NBC Sports
- Behind the raw photo of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal that captures their enduring friendship (Don Riddell and George Ramsay, September 29, 2022) CNN, on ABC 17 News
- Rafael Nadal’s tears revealed human side of Roger Federer rivalry: ‘An important part of my life is leaving too’ (Stephanie Livaudais, September 24, 2022) Tennis.com
Notes
“For the first time ever”: a popular clip says Federer asked Nadal to play with him for the first time. They had partnered once before, at the 2017 Laver Cup, beating Jack Sock and Sam Querrey 6-4, 1-6, 10-5 (ESPN; NBC Sports), so the Short says “one last time.”
Fifteen years: their first match was in Miami in 2004 and their 40th at Wimbledon in July 2019 (ATP Tour). Finals: the ATP counts 24 tournament finals between them, Tennis.com 25; only the agreed figures (40 matches, nine Grand Slam finals, six won by Nadal) are used.
End time: the Laver Cup says 25 minutes past midnight, the AP “about 12:30 a.m.”; the Short says “after midnight.” The match’s length (2 hours 16 minutes by the ATP’s count, 2 hours 14 by the Laver Cup’s) isn’t used.
The hand-holding: CNN describes the two sitting “hand-in-hand while sobbing uncontrollably,” and Federer later said, “I guess I just touched him”; the Short says only that they sat side by side, crying, holding hands. The famous photograph of that moment is a professional photographer’s picture; it is not shown or linked here.
Nadal’s words: the AP prints “leaving, too,” with a comma, and Tennis.com “leaving too, because…”; the words are the same. Nadal’s reply on the phone, as Federer told it, is second-hand and isn’t quoted.
Left out: Nadal’s health and his family’s private life beyond the public birth of his first child in early October 2022, and the rest of the Laver Cup weekend. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock are alive; only match results, official reports and the players’ own published words are used, and nothing about health beyond Federer’s knee operations, which he and the AP made public. No relatives are named.
Pictures: no photo on this page shows the doubles match of September 23, 2022, or the farewell; every picture of that night we found is agency, Laver Cup, broadcast or press work, so none is used. Roger Federer is at the Mutua Madrid Open on May 4, 2015, at Wimbledon on June 27, 2016, and waving after his first-round win at the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 20, 2020 (cropped). Rafael Nadal is serving at the US Open on August 30, 2022; at the Rolex Paris Masters on November 1, 2019; at the Australian Open players’ party in Melbourne on January 18, 2015; and leaving the court at the O2 Arena in London after a loss at the ATP Finals on November 11, 2019. The two are together at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day in Queens, New York, on August 28, 2010 (cropped), in Rome in May 2015 (Nadal watching Federer practice), in the Wimbledon final on Centre Court on July 6, 2008, and in the final of the 2010 ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena on November 28, 2010. The O2 Arena is shown on September 25, 2022, the last day of the 2022 Laver Cup (Team World’s trophy celebration, two days after Federer’s match), and at the 2026 Laver Cup on September 26, 2026. Frances Tiafoe is at the US Open on September 1, 2022, and Jack Sock at the Mouilleron-le-Captif Challenger in France on October 5, 2022.
Photo credits
The archive photos in this story
The photographs and illustrations in this story are in the public domain or shared under open licenses; each one is credited below with its license. Tap one to enlarge it, or follow the link to its Wikimedia Commons page for the full record. The narration, captions and graphics in the Short are our own; its music and sound effects are credited below.
Music and sound effects
Music: Satie, Gymnopedie No. 1 (Lent et douloureux) (Robin Alciatore, piano, public domain); Beethoven, Coriolan Overture, Op. 62 (Musopen Symphony Orchestra, CC0); Dvorak, Symphony No. 9 'From the New World': II. Largo (Musopen, public domain).
Sound effects: Freesound, CC0.
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