Roger Federer admits he is missing one player at Laver Cup 2022: 'Would be even cooler'

As 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer gets set to compete in the final match of his career at the Laver Cup 2022 tournament on Friday, the Swiss Maestro has admitted that his farewell would have been 'even cooler' had Andy Roddick played in it. The 41-year-old had some outstanding classic matches with Roddick during the early days of his career.

Federer hopes Roddick would have played at Laver Cup

The short exchange between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick began on social media after Andy Murray uploaded an image of the 'Big Four' practising ahead of the Laver Cup 2022. Roddick replied to Murray's post and wrote, "This is so cool" before Federer responded and said, "Would be even cooler if you were here AROD."

Federer revealed Laver Cup would be his final tournament

In his emotional retirement statement, Roger Federer revealed that the upcoming Laver Cup would be his final competitive match on the tour. He added that while he would continue to play tennis, he would just not be competing professionally. An excerpt of his statement read,

"The Laver Cup next week will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future of course but just not in grand slams or on the tour. This is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the tour has given me. But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible."

Federer's last match would be a doubles clash, where he would partner with longtime rival and friend Rafael Nadal. The duo would face the American team of Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock. The match will begin live at 12:50 AM IST on Saturday, September 24.

Laver Cup 2022 teams

Team Europe: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Matteo Berrettini, Bjorn Borg (captain)

Team World: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Frances Tiafoe, Diego Schwartzman, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Jack Sock, John McEnroe (captain)