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LONDON (AP) — Roger Federer is, by his ain admission, a jokester.
A mates of his Laver Cup teammates would agree.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2021 French Open runner-up, described the 20-time Grand Slam champion arsenic "goofy and giggling" successful the locker country during the three-day matter that finished connected Monday (AEST) with a triumph for Team World and amounted to a solemnisation of Federer's vocation arsenic helium heads into status astatine property 41.
Re-watch Roger Federer's farewell from tennis successful the star-studded Laver Cup betwixt Team Europe and Team World. Streaming ad-free, exclusive and connected request connected Stan Sport now
Roger Federer has played his last nonrecreational tennis match
"Roger is the loudest and the funniest of all," said Casper Ruud, a finalist astatine Roland Garros and the US Open this year.
"He benignant of has each these nicknames (for) each the players."
For immoderate cachet and attraction the Laver Cup mightiness person lacked successful the past — and nary substance however agelong it lasts — the 5th edition, held astatine London's O2 Arena, volition everlastingly beryllium known arsenic the juncture of Federer's last match, a doubles decision alongside rival and confidant Rafael Nadal.
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Now it volition beryllium worthy monitoring whether the large crowds that turned retired chiefly to salute and drawback a glimpse of Federer — with a racquet successful hand; offering coaching tips to teammates connected the sideline; conscionable walking retired and waving during pre-match introductions for each league — volition amusement up adjacent twelvemonth successful Vancouver and beyond.
It'll beryllium worthy noting, too, whether apical players volition proceed to participate, whether fans volition attraction from afar and whether the lawsuit founded by Federer's absorption institution mightiness yet go the benignant of improvement that different team-contests-in-individual-sports are, similar golf's Ryder Cup.
But possibly that's not what it needs to be.
Rather than reasoning of the Laver Cup arsenic a "real" and meaningful postulation of matches — it fundamentally is simply a glorified exhibition, without ranking points available, though the wins and losses bash number connected a player's authoritative grounds — it's OK to presumption the gathering arsenic what it is and should strive to be: a benignant of All-Star crippled for tennis, bringing unneurotic apical athletes successful a relaxed mounting wherever the results bash not substance arsenic overmuch arsenic the specified beingness of large names and the accidental to witnesser their interactions and off-the-cuff banter.
"The conception of the Laver Cup is truthful unsocial that, careless of whether Roger is retiring oregon not... this contention volition unrecorded (on) and make precise beauteous memories," said Novak Djokovic, the 21-time large champion who was participating for the 2nd time.
"It creates amended bonds and relationships betwixt the teammates."
It could serve, supra all, arsenic a promotional vehicle, which would beryllium alternatively invaluable arsenic tennis moves distant from a spectacular epoch that featured Federer and Serena Williams, whose farewell astatine the US Open preceded his past hurrah by 3 weeks.
And who tin beryllium definite however overmuch longer Nadal, 36, and Djokovic, 35, volition instrumentality around?
(Asked astir himself, Djokovic said: "I can't springiness you a fig of years. I don't know.")
It's unusual, and fun, to ticker and perceive on connected TV arsenic folks specified arsenic Federer, Nadal and Djokovic connection coaching tips to others during matches.
"If Roger Federer is telling you to bash something," said Cam Norrie, who filled successful for Nadal successful singles connected Team Europe, "there is nary accidental I'm not going to bash it."
It's amusing to perceive behind-the-scenes anecdotes from athletes whose interplay astatine a tourney usually is constricted due to the fact that they're adversaries — and, Djokovic explained, due to the fact that coaches and carnal trainers and different entourage members who get successful the mode the remainder of the twelvemonth are barred from Laver Cup locker rooms.
So Ruud, a 23-year-old Norwegian presently No.2 successful the ATP rankings, felt comfy revealing that Nadal, the 22-time large victor truthful punctilious with his portion bottles during matches, is really "pretty messy, honestly; shoes and apparel are hanging everywhere" successful the changing area.
Or Taylor Fritz, a 24-year-old from California who is the apical American antheral astatine No.12, had nary occupation teasing astir the tardiness of Frances Tiafoe, a 24-year-old from Maryland who conscionable cracked the ATP's apical 20 aft reaching the US Open semi finals.
"Frances is ever the 1 we are waiting for. Always late," Fritz said with a smile.
"I'm usually the 1 that's ever late, but helium makes maine look great."
Told of this, Tiafoe confirmed: "Yeah, maine and clip conscionable don't truly get along."
Perhaps determination are elements of the Laver Cup that could beryllium altered, adjacent though this was Federer's instrumentality connected that: "I don't spot a crushed to alteration it. I deliberation it's precise exciting. I deliberation the format seems to beryllium stone solid."
Still, possibly the credibility would summation if it meant thing successful the rankings (although the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, for example, don't).
Maybe it could impact women and men connected some squads — Team Serena vs. Team Roger, say? — adding successful mixed doubles, skills competitions and more.
After his archetypal Laver Cup, Andy Murray said helium thinks it "has a batch of imaginable for the future."
He besides insisted: "The players attraction a batch astir who wins."
That mightiness beryllium true.
Regardless, what matters for the Laver Cup is whether fans attraction astir it.
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