Congratulations, thank you, goodbye, farewell and Amen,

[Fred Nerk]

....to Roger Federer on one of the all-time great sporting careers.

A four-page missive from Rodge has just dropped on the SBM confirming that this weekend's Laver Cup will be his last tournament

[beamer]

It’s been a long time coming and shame he couldn’t have gone out on top really, I guess he wanted to show up and make an impact at one more Slam but it wasn’t to be.

While statistically he will end up behind Nadal and Djokovic, he had a five-year age disadvantage over them once they emerged, and did remarkably well to stick with them, as part of a golden age of possibly the best three of all time plus honest challengers like Murray, Wawrinka and Del Potro. Always most at home at SW19, perhaps Wimbledon’s greatest male champion, who made it within a point of a ninth title that would have been his crowning glory (maybe he will get Becker’s Lord of the Manor title, if not his place in the commentary box…)

Guess the torch now passes to the likes of Alcaraz who was just two months old when Federer won his first major. A quite remarkable era that we’re unlikely to see the likes of again.

[skully]

Congrats on a fab career, Fed.

[JGK]

He's still my GOAT.

[embee]

is that anything like tac's goat?

[skully]

[beamer]

Well, that was quite a send-off, playing doubles with Nadal, even if their opponents hadn’t quite read the script!

And in attendance it was a who’s who of men’s tennis. Laver, Borg, McEnroe, Edberg, and of course Djokovic, Murray and some of the new breed at courtside. He even got an Ellie Goulding mini-concert! As sporting retirements go, a unique and fitting one for a unique star.

[Sponsored content]