HAPPY ENDING
Fed in special Rafa farewell
ANDY MURRAY says Roger Federer teaming up with Rafa Nadal at the sold-out O2 tonight is “a really cool way to end an incredible career”.
The Scot added that Federer’s farewell has made him reflect on how he will eventually say goodbye to the sport.
Murray, 35, will be the warm-up act on the Greenwich Peninsula as he plays Alex de Minaur in the opening singles match of the evening session.
But the night – and this whole Laver Cup between Team Europe and Team World – is really about the Swiss superstar bowing out of tennis at the age of 41. Federer and
Nadal will face Americans Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. Murray said: “As you get older, you think about when should you stop and when is the right moment and how would you like it to be. He seems to get a lot of things right.
“It feels right, seeing him and Rafa on the same side of the net and finishing their careers as a team in this event with [Europe captain] Bjorn Borg on the side of the court, [World captain] John McEnroe there, Rod Laver in the stands. It is going to be a cool way to end an incredible career. I have thought about it, but I don’t think there’s many better ways to go out than like this. It will be emotional.”
Federer, who announced his retirement after three rightknee operations, said: “It just feels right. Of course, it’s superspecial playing with Rafa. I’m sure it’s going to be wonderful.”
Nadal was the last player to arrive in London, with his wife Xisca pregnant back home – and British No.1 Cam Norrie is on standby to replace him over the weekend.
But the Spaniard said: “To be part of this historic moment in tennis is going to be amazing, unforgettable for me.”
The Swiss and the Spaniard have shared 40 matches – Nadal leads 24-16 – and 42 Grand Slam singles titles.
Nadal’s uncle and former coach Toni said: “They built a real friendship, a little at a time. It seems ridiculous but they almost arrived at the point where one of them was happy if the other one won.
“I don’t think there existed the same relationship between Connors and Borg or McEnroe and Lendl.”
The three-day Laver Cup was started in 2017 as the sport’s version of the Ryder Cup and Team Europe have won all four events so far.