The entire focus in the Laver Cup 2022 will be on Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer as he would be retiring from professional sport after this competition. Ahead of his doubles match, Federer on Thursday shared a picture with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray and the post has now gone viral. The photo posted on Federer's account has garnered more than 4,10,000 likes and 40,000 retweets. These four legends also took to the court for a practice session on Thursday.
Federer will be playing his final ATP Tour match on Friday alongside long-time rival and friend Rafael Nadal. It is important to note that Federer and Nadal had also played at the Laver Cup in 2017.
Federer and Nadal will be playing against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe on Friday.
Nadal (22), Djokovic (21), Federer (20), and Murray (3) have won 66 Grand Slams between them.
Federer, dogged by a knee injury, has not played since the 2021 Wimbledon quarter-finals and last week announced his retirement at the age of 41.
The Swiss great has enjoyed a storied rivalry with Nadal over nearly two decades and together they have won 42 Grand Slam singles titles in a golden era for the men's game.
The pair played 40 times, including in nine Grand Slam finals, with Nadal holding a 24-16 winning record, but this time they will be on the same side of the net in the Ryder Cup-style event.
The six-strong Team Europe also includes Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray -- the other two members of the so-called "Big Four" -- in a fitting climax to Federer's career.
With AFP inputs