Every athlete in every sport knows that this match had to come for Roger and for tennis.
After a stellar career that included 20 Grand Slam titles and a statesman's role, the 41-year-old Swiss tennis player is retiring. He ended his career as a professional tennis player with a loss in doubles with his friend and rival, Rafael Nadal, in the Laver Cup.
The victors, the statistics, and the score were all unimportant. The farewell was the reason for the event. It would be better if the farewells were better: to his competitors and colleagues. And, naturally, each of those entities said farewells to the man.
"It's been a great experience," he said. I'd do it all over again.
After the match, when his time in professional tennis was over, he hugged Nadal, then the other players. And then he started to cry. As the applause came from the stands, he put his hands on his hips. He gestured to the spectators who had chanted, "Let's go, Roger!" and then applauded. During the conclusion of the match that lasted more than two hours and ended at about 12:30 a.m., let's go!
The Swiss star announced last week that the three-day team event, which was founded by his management company, would be his final event before retiring. His final official singles match will be his final one after he lost in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July 2021.
When he realized it was time to leave, he said it was the best decision for him. I fought it off after holding it in. But I felt the ache.
"I've done this thousands of times, but this one feels different," he said. Everyone who is coming tonight, thank you.
He had said he wanted this to feel more like a party than a funeral, and the crowd obliged, rising for a loud and lengthy standing ovation when the two players emerged from the tunnel. The spectators stayed on their feet for nearly 10 minutes through the pre- match warm up.
They came ready to roar for him, some with Swiss flags, some with homemade signs, and they made themselves heard with a wall of sound when he won the match. The chair umpire's announcement before the third game was followed by similar reactions when he closed the game with a 117 mph service winner.
The stress on his knee was limited Friday because doubles requires less movement. It was expected that he would show some of his old flair and rust.
There were a couple of early forehands that sailed a long way as his parents and wife sat in front of him. The forehand that slid between the two players seemed too good to be true and so the point was taken away from the two players.
The four doubles participants played as if they were going to win. It was obvious when Sock leaped and screamed after one of the great volleys or when the other player sent a couple of shots at the two men.
There were times when the circumstances allowed for a bit of levity.
A bit of confusion over who should go for a ball on a point resulted in the two players laughing. After Nadal hit a back-to-the-net shot around the post, only for it to land barely wide, Tiafoe crossed over to give him a hand of thanks.
In the first set, the two greats of the game couldn't hear each other between points, so Federer went back to the baseline to consult with Nadal, and then pointed to his ear to let the fans know what was going on.
Pete Sampras had the men's mark for most major tennis championship. At Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the U.S. Open and one at the French Open, he set a new standard that Nadal, with 22, and Novak Djokovic, with 21, equaled, then surpassed.
His accomplishments include a Davis Cup title and Olympic medals. His popularity helped attract fans and made him an ambassador for tennis.
There are people who would have found it very apt to see Nadal finish across the net from his on-court nemesis. It could have taken place at Centre Court of the All England Club, Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open, or Rod Arena at the US Open.
They could have provided everyone with one final installment of a head-to-head clash as memorable as any in the long history of their sport.
It's up there with McEnroe vs. Borg and Evert vs. Navratilova.
There were compelling contrasts between the two players over the years: righty vs. lefty, attacker vs. grinder, seeming effortlessness vs. relentless intensity.
There was an element of poetry with these two men who challenged each other and elevated each other to perform as partners, slap palms and share smiles.
The popular acronym for "greatest of all-time" is used by Sock.
Serena Williams lost in the third round of the US Open three weeks ago. Questions about the future of a game he and she dominated for decades are left by it.
When Williams was in New York, the looming question was how long her stay would last. No matter what the result was, Friday was it for Roger.
"He will be missed by all the players," said the man who beat him in singles.
The other results, which left Team Europe and Team World tied at 2-2, were caused by an environmental protester lighting a portion of the court on fire and Alex de Minaur beating Andy Murray.
Due to begin playing shortly after the end of Murray's loss, Federer and Nadal first provided him with some coaching tips, then watched part of that on TV in a room at the arena, waiting for their turn. When the two superstars were in action, it was the other way around.
After a total of 103 career singles trophies and 1,251 wins in singles matches, it was time for the last time for the Swiss tennis player.
From 2005 to 2007, the Swiss tennis player appeared in a record 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals. He made it to 18 of 19 major finals.
People will remember the powerful forehand, the one-handed backhand, the flawless footwork, the spectacularly effective serve and eagerness to get to the net, all of which he's proudest of.
"I don't think we'll see someone like Roger again," he stated. The way he played, the grace he did it with, and who he is as a person.
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