Tearful Federer wave bye-bye afta final match to retire from tennis

Cry-cry Roger Federer wave byebye to professional tennis afa e team up wit fellow great Rafael Nadal for one emotional nightfor di Laver Cup.

Di 41-year-old receive one long ovation afta e walk comot court for di final time as e retire as professional.

Di Swiss, wey bin win 20 Grand Slam singles titles, dey considered as one of di best players for tennis history.

"E be wonderful day. I dey happy, I no sad. E feels great to dey here. I dey happy I make am through," e tok.

Federer cry as e hug Nadal and oda players, den gbab praise from di thousands of fans wey dey shout im name for di O2 Arena for London.

Nadal also no fit hold back di tears. Di 36-year-old Spaniard bin cry as e siddon alongside Federer as dem dy listen to British singer Ellie Goulding, wey round off one memorable night wit one performance.

Federer and Nadal - for long rival for di top of di men game - bin join forces to play doubles against American pair Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe for di annual team event between Europe and di rest of di world.

Despite say Federer no play competitively for over one year, di two veteran bin push Sock and Tiafoe bifo losing 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 11-9 as Team World level for 2-2 for di end of play for di opening day.

Federer and Nadal - wey dem affectionately nickname 'Fedal' - almost win am. Di pair don match point for 9-8 for di decider, but Federer fit only lunge for one forehand wey e push into di net.

Di defeat bring di former world number one 25-year professional career to close afta im 1,750th competitive match across singles and doubles.

"E be di perfect journey. I go do am all again,"Federer tok as e try to hold back tears during im on-court speech.

Federer throw di retirement celebration wey e want

Federer career bin long dey on di downward slope, e bin dey battle one knee injury for di past two years and need three operations for bid to overcome di wahala.

E bin no play competitive match since e lose to Poland Hubert Hurkacz for di quarter-finals for Wimbledon last year.

Despite say e dey restricted to only three of di 11 Grand Slams wey dem stage since di start of 2020, e hope as recently as July e go still dey able to return to di major tournaments.

But, afta scan bring further bad news, Federer announce last week say e go retire sake of im "body message lately don dey clear".

Federer don tok about say e go throw party to mark im final match, say e want di occasion to dey fun and not funereal.

As e wish,e bin get celebratory atmosphere for di 17,500-capacity arena.

Di key numbers for Federer career

20 Grand Slam singles titles 310 weeks as world number one 103 ATP titles 28 Masters 1,000 titles 6 ATP Finals victories 31 Grand Slam finals 1 Davis Cup triumph £114m career prize money

Im wife Mirka, dia four children, plus im parents Robert and Lynette watch di match, Federer every move dey greeted wit cheers wey contain one mixture of euphoria and empathy.

Di family join m on court afta during one touching celebration, wey see many more tears and Federer lift up by im fellow players.

"Everyone here, di boys and girls. My wife bin dey so supportive. She for don stop me long, long time ago but she no do am," Federer tok.

"She keep me going and allow me to play, so e dey amazing - thank you." Di presence of some tennis legends including Rod Laver, along wit celebrities including Hollywood actor Hugh Grant and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, add to di occasion.

Current world number ones, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, bin tweet dia range of emotions as dem watch di match for television, as Federer Swiss Davis Cup team-mate Stan Wawrinka sef do.

Federer bin only fit enough to play doubles sake of one knee injury and im movement dey limited. Afta, e bin joke say dey happy to get through di match as e no pull one muscle for im calf or back.

"To dey wit di guys and have family and friends, I no feel di stress so much even if I feel say sometin go go during di match," Federer tok "I dey so glad I make am through and di match dey great. I no fit dey happier."

Wetin Federer mean to tennis and im fans

No be only say Federer push boundaries wit im play and set surplus records, e also become one of di most popular players tennis don ever see.

Im style of play - wey dem describe as balletic, graceful and fluent -don make millions of fans across di world to like am. So too be im polite and charming personality.

Federer transcend tennis. For some, e almost transcend di world. Bifo di match, you fit see hundreds of fans filing into di arena wear Federer-branded clothing and accessories.

Hats, T-shirts, scarves, banners and even custom-made earrings. All red and white - di national colours of Switzerland - wit most decorate wit di initials of dia hero: RF.

Few Swiss flags also dey draped around di indoor arena. One Federer super-fan for di O2 Arena, Robert Springer from Poland, describe im idol as di 'King of Tennis".

"E get quality, empathy, one super sportsman, one gentleman and one good father. Plus e always get time for im fans. E be di one and only," Robert tell BBC Sport.

Tickets for di night session on Friday dey already sold out before Federer announce last week e go retire afta di annual team event.

Initially dem dey available from between £40 and £510. Following di news, dem bin offer on resale platforms for over £1,000 each.

Despite di match finishing at 00:26 BST, as di celebrations continue for about anoda half an hour, few of those wey present commot di end.

"Thank you everybody. I get so many pipo wey cheer me on and you guys here tonight mean di world," Federer tok, wey later add say e dey"really scared" about speaking on court sake of e know say e go get emotional.

"Dis no be di end-end, you know, life goes on. I dey healthy, I dey happy, everything great, and dis be just one moment in time."