Federer’s parting shot is as classy as his game

IN the wake of 40-year-old, Greatest Of All Time, Serena Williams’ official retirement, 41-year-old Swiss maestro Roger Federer has followed suit.

This is no surprise. It has never been a question of if given his long absence through injury from the ATP tour only a matter of when.

It is hugely interesting he’s chosen the week post the US Open, and a week during which there could be no bigger universal distraction than the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II currently eclipsing even war in Russia to make his announcement.

Federer has always been a class act on and off a tennis court, and my guess is that emulating the Queen, he’s decided he should bow out gracefully.

He watched the US Open and saw: Williams, six-time champion, losing the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic, an average player whom she would have trounced in her prime.

Former champion Andy Murray ungracefully losing in the same round to an out of form Matteo Berretini, whom he equally would once have beaten, with his out of shape, reinstated celebrity coach, Ivan Lendl, watching on uncomfortably, thinking exactly that.

Rafa Nadal, a four-times champion, thrashed in the fourth round by an admittedly much improved player, Frances Tiafoe, but one who would have stood little chance against the Spaniard at his zenith.

And then the real sign of the writing on the wall, he watched 19-yearold Carlos Alcaraz, who modelled his own game on “my idol Federer”, in coming to net at every opportunity, rather than avoiding it, winning his first Slam. Deja vu Federer beating seven-time champion Pete Sampras in the fourth round at Wimbledon at the same age.

With that, came the stark realisation there was a possible reincarnation of his young brilliant self out there and that another comeback would be an undignified bridge too far.

He did not want to be performing as a shadow of his former self, being applauded only out of sympathy and respect for past feats.

Moreover instead of prolonged fanfare, hand in glove with protracted last gasp performances, he chose to make his retirement announcement as short and sharp as a Swiss knife, at a time when he knew the news would be overshadowed by the Queen’s funeral preparations, facilitating less focus and fuss over himself.

Humility aside, the longest reigning No 1, also played his final trump card: His brainchild, The Laver Cup, modelled on the PGA’S Ryder Cup, is to be played at the O2 Arena in London next weekend, designed to raise money for former Australian great, Rod Laver. London is expecting record crowds for the state funeral tomorrow, many of which will still be in town come September 23.

Thus Federer is banking on the fact many will “for the sake of history”

want to see him play his last ATP event, together with GOATS, Novak Djokovic, Nadal and Murray, all representing dominant Team Europe, for the first time, alongside equally big draw cards, Greek No 1, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Norwegian No 1, Casper Ruud.

Thus London’s Laver Cup will be a last vigil for Federer’s fans, in the home of Wimbledon, the oldest and most hallowed Major, of which he is the reigning king, coupled with a fund-raising opportunity.

The only disappointment being Alcaraz, tennis’ new No 1, will not be playing, a relief for Team World captain John Mcenroe, on the back of suffering four straight Laver Cup losses. It will take a superhuman effort to stem the tide against the invincible, if not dwindling, trio of European GOATS.