'I won't be a ghost' - Roger Federer insists he will remain part of tennis world after retirement

ByHarry Latham Coyle

Updated 22/09/2022 at 10:23 GMT

Roger Federer has announced that the 2022 Laver Cup at the O2 Arena in London will be his final tournament in professional tennis having been named as part of Team Europe for the competition. The 20-time Grand Slam singles champion insists, however, that he will remain a familiar face on the tennis circuit - though he is not yet sure in what capacity.

Roger Federer has told fans that he will not be "a ghost" and he intends to remain part of the tennis world as he prepares to retire from the sport.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion will bow out of professional tennis at the 2022 Laver Cup in London after more than two decades on the ATP circuit.

Federer has not played competitively since Wimbledon last year after undergoing season-ending knee surgery at the end of last summer, and announced his decision to retire last week.

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The 41-year-old insists, though, that while the Laver Cup will be his final appearance on the tour, he hopes to remain involved in the sport - even if he is not yet sure in what capacity that will be.

• Watch the full press conference here

"I just want to let the fans know that I won’t be a ghost," Federer said ahead of the competition.

"It’s funny, I talked about [Team Europe captain] Bjorn Borg before, and I don’t think he returned to Wimbledon for 25 years [after he retired].

"Totally acceptable - his life, his reasons. I don’t think I’ll be that guy.

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"Tennis has given me too much, I’ve been around the game for too long, fallen in love with too many things.

"I love seeing people again and that is what I want to let the fans know - you will see me again. In what capacity, I don’t know. I still have to think about it a little bit."

Federer said that the Laver Cup felt like the best place to bow out, rather than announcing his retirement around a Grand Slam.

"I'm happy to do it here in London. After thinking about it, this city has been special to me, maybe the most special place with Wimbledon down the road and here at The 02 having played and qualified here for so many years. I just thought it was very fitting. I've always enjoyed the crowds here as well. I think Bjorn Borg on the bench with me for my final game resonated in a big way with me.

"Having all the other guys around just felt like I wasn't going to be lonely announcing my retirement. Not that I wanted to hijack this event but I always feel sorry for players who sometimes retire on the tour and say 'ok I'll play one more match' and then one point you lose and there you stand all alone.

"Obviously 99 per cent of the time you will lose at one point because only one guy can win a tournament. It just felt like this works really well here but I always wanted to keep the integrity of the event alive, that's why I had a lot of conversations with everybody."

Federer will play just a sole doubles match at the Laver Cup as he prepares to return to court after more than a year out of action.

Laver Cup rules suggest that every player should compete in at least one singles match during the first two days of play.

That necessitated talks with Borg, tournament organisers and Borg's Team World counterpart, John McEnroe, to get the necessary approvals to allow Federer to bow out as he wished.

Matteo Berrettini, named as an alternate for Borg's team, will replace Federer and play a singles match on Saturday.

"This is an ATP event that I don't want to mess with," Federer said ahead his return from injury. "But at the same time I know my limitations.

"That is why I asked Bjorn [Borg] if it was okay if I just played one doubles [match]. I guess Matteo [Berrettini] would come in and have to play for me on Saturday.

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"Bjorn spoke to John [McEnroe], the tournament and the ATP, [asking] if that is ok and everyone said that is fine.

"So here I am trying to prepare for one last doubles. We will see who it is with.

"I'm nervous going in because I haven't played in so long. I hope I can be somewhat competitive."

Reflecting on his career, Federer said he was proud of the longevity and consistency he embodied.

"I was famous for being quite erratic at the beginning of my career," he said. "To become one of the most consistent players ever is quite a shock to me as well. That is a great accomplishment for me personally, that I was able to stay at the top for so long.

"There are so many things I will miss; the fans are at the centre of everything. I will miss that, every interaction on the court and off the court."

Borg is yet to confirm his line-up for the opening day of action in London.

Federer said this week that partnering long-time rival Rafael Nadal would be his "absolute dream", with Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Casper Ruud, and Stefanos Tsitsipas also part of Team Europe, who have never been beaten in four previous editions of the Laver Cup.

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