"It was a perfect journey and I would love to do it all over again"
Tennis king Federer curtain call business wizard Federer debut
No. 1 on the annual Athlete Earnings list with $106.3 million
Highest-paid tennis player in the world for 17 consecutive years
The ongoing Laver Cup is another 'feat product' for Federer's Team 8
Put your career farewell battle in the Laver Cup and ignite a fire for this event
Federer's last match partner can only be Nadal
On the evening of the 23rd, in the first day of the 2022 Laver Cup in London, England, Swiss tennis superstar Federer completed the curtain call of his career. He partnered with Spanish star Nadal in the doubles, and finally lost 1:2.
After the match, Federer wept emotionally and waved goodbye to the audience.
After the final ball, the audience stood up and applauded Federer.
Federer was also moved to tears, he hugged Nadal, who was fighting side by side, and waved to the audience.
"It's like a celebration for me," Federer said. "I hope that's how it feels at the end, it's exactly what I want, so thank you. It's been a perfect journey and I'd love to start all over again. once."
Federer cried
It was close to 1 a.m. on the 24th, and few people left the O2 Arena, which can accommodate nearly 20,000 spectators in London.
Federer, who had just cried "severely", slowly walked around the arena for a week, ending the farewell ceremony: he waved his hands vigorously to the standing ovation of the audience, sometimes patted his left chest, and sometimes blew kisses.
Strictly speaking, this may not be the most perfect retirement.
Because in the last match of his career, he and his partner Nadal lost this Laver Cup doubles match.
The audience is overwhelmingly supportive of "Fenape", and Federer can also get more exclusive cheers, including singing, slogans, and someone shouting "Are you really sure you want to retire"...
Entering the third set of the tie-breaker, "Fenape" achieved a 3-0 start, and the audience burst into enthusiastic cheers.
However, the two American "cannons", Sock and Tiafo, fought back tenaciously, causing the audience to feel disappointed.
When Tiafoe hit Federer in front of the net with a powerful shot, boos sounded from all sides.
11:9, Sock/Tiafo reversed after saving a match point and won the world's much-anticipated match, but the spotlight only chased Federer - he and Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and other Europeans Teammates hug each other.
"I don't want to retire alone, so I think it's the perfect celebration."
This is indeed Federer's most perfect farewell: surrounded by fans, with celebrities watching, and one by one great opponents in today's tennis are on the scene to bid him farewell.
Nadal also cried
The last post-match press conference of his career was completed by the 36-year-old Nadal with Federer.
The Spaniard, who cried especially sad after the game, said that although they are each other's strongest opponents, Federer has long been one of the most important companions in his professional journey.
"Although we have very different styles of play, our approach to life is very consistent and I can safely share anything on my mind with him."
Federer, who was in a stable mood after the announcement of his retirement decision last week, finally burst into tears, and when it comes to the parents, wife and children who helped out on the scene, the 41-year-old "Swiss King" was even more sobbing.
He thanked his wife emotionally, saying that this career journey that has gone on for more than 24 years should have stopped long ago, but she has no hesitation to support him to go longer.
According to Xinhua
How to make the most elegant tennis king
Federer's retirement letter was posted on social media, and the news spread across continents to China, and quickly topped the Weibo hot search list that night.
In his retirement letter, he said that when his love for tennis started, he was just an ordinary caddie in his hometown of Basel.
"I used to look at every player with a curious eye, they were like giants, and I started to dream. My dreams made me start working hard and start believing in myself. I consider myself the luckiest person on earth, To be gifted with tennis talent and to achieve a level I never imagined, a career far beyond what I could have imagined."
From caddie to king
On August 8, 1981, Federer was born in a middle-class family in Basel, Switzerland, with only one child, Federer.
At the age of 3, Federer's parents went to the local tennis club to play, and Federer picked up the tennis racket.
In 1993, at the age of 12, Federer served as a caddie in Basel, and then he entered the Swiss National Tennis Training Center.
He had previously hesitated between football and tennis.
Three years later, Federer played his first junior tennis tournament in Switzerland, and two years later won the junior men's singles title at the 1998 Wimbledon Championships.
Five years later, when Federer blew the clarion call to build his own era at Wimbledon in 2003, he showed unparalleled dominance and consistency.
On February 2, 2004, Federer became the world number one in men's singles for the first time, and held the position for 237 consecutive weeks, setting the longest consecutive world first week in the Open era.
In those four years, Federer was almost invincible.
ballet
Gorgeous DSLRs, dashing nets, violent forehands and all kinds of amazing small balls, heights and crossings are Federer's court in miniature.
As one of the greatest players in tennis history, Federer has shown not only dominance on the court, but also his "performative" aesthetic tennis.
Federer's game is like a dialogue with the history of tennis. The audience can see a bit of Björn Borg's delicacy on the court, Sampras' explosive side, and a bit of Rod Laura. Wall's shadow.
"He's much more complex and creative than most players. Roger is an artist who knows how to fight, like ballet, looks effortlessly elegant and balanced, but it's actually very laborious." Federer's fitness trainer Pi El Paganini said.
The documentary "Strike of Genius" focuses on the 2008 Wimbledon men's singles final, a match considered the greatest match in men's tennis.
The quality of the match was extremely high and the scene was intense. Nadal's strong topspin caused a high bounce that made Federer's dashing SLR tired to deal with it.
Nadal took the first two sets in one go, but Federer chased two sets after the match was suspended and restarted due to rain.
In the end, Nadal won Wimbledon for the first time after Federer hit the net.
It was Federer's first loss in a Wimbledon final.
He has since lost three of the Wimbledon finals to another person.
That was another great confrontation storyline, Djokovic from Serbia built his tennis era with a different style of play.
Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, three talented players who have played successively, jointly built the golden age of men's tennis.
Why choose Laver Cup for the curtain call
According to the statistical list released by "Forbes" in May 2020, Federer ranked first in the annual athlete income list with an income of 106.3 million US dollars, surpassing football stars such as Messi, Ronaldo and James, and became the most famous player in history. The first tennis player to reach the top of the annual ranking of players' income.
Federer has been the highest-paid tennis player in the world for 17 consecutive years, according to data from May this year.
endorsement king
During his career, Federer has earned about $131 million in match bonuses, compared to Djokovic's $159 million and Nadal's $132 million.
However, off-market revenue is the bulk of Fei Tianwang’s profits. According to Forbes, the Swiss’s endorsement and commercial income is as high as about 1 billion US dollars, which is more than Dana and the two combined.
In 2008, Federer renewed his 10-year contract with Nike, and the annual sponsorship fee reportedly reached $10 million.
What is commendable is that with age, Federer's commercial value is getting higher and higher.
In 2018, Federer switched to Uniqlo after his contract with Nike expired, and the amount reached between the two sides reached a staggering $30 million per year for 10 years.
In 2006, Rolex and Federer signed a 10-year contract of $1.5 million per year, but after the expiration of the renewal, the annual amount was significantly increased to $8 million per year.
This is due to Federer's good image maintenance in front of the public.
Federer is a rare quality icon in sports circles.
A low-key personality, a harmonious family, and a long-term commitment to charitable activities make Federer's image almost perfect.
investor
Federer is also quite accomplished in investing.
In 2019, Federer, who entered the twilight of his career, started an important investment in his business investment career, investing in the Swiss sports brand On Run with an amount of US$54 million.
According to media reports, Federer's stake in the company is between 3% and 5%.
In September 2021, the brand went public on the New York Stock Exchange, and Federer's stake rose in value with it.
At present, the market value of the company is about 10.8 billion US dollars. Based on Federer's 3% stake, the market value of the shares in the Swiss hands has reached 324 million US dollars, which is many times more than the original purchase price of 54 million US dollars.
broker
In 2013, Federer established his own sports company Team 8 with the help of agent Tony Gordick and others, and began to operate the player agency business independently.
In addition to working for themselves, Team 8 also undertakes the brokerage business of many famous tennis players - Dimitrov, Del Potro, Zverev, Gauff...
The ongoing Laver Cup is another "fist product" of Federer's Team 8.
In 2017, the Laver Cup was successfully held for the first time, and it has continued to this day.
This event, which has invited many high-profile players and is "titled" by the tennis legend Laver, has gradually become one of the tennis matches that has attracted much attention from fans.
Putting his career farewell game in the Laver Cup, of course, is also a fire that Federer ignited for his event.
After the news was announced, the tickets for the event were sold out instantly, and the price soared in the resale market. The VIP ticket price for the whole journey was even fired to RMB 4.62 million...
In addition, according to the reporter's understanding, Federer has the possibility of cooperation and linkage with the Shanghai Masters in the future.
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