Roger Federer will partner with Rafael Nadal, his oldest rival, when he plays the final professional match of his career at the Laver Cup in London on Friday.
At Thursday’s draw, it was confirmed that Federer will join Nadal for Team Europe against the American pair of Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock for Team World on Friday night. Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, will then be replaced by Italy’s Matteo Berrettini for the rest of the event.
Federer, 41, who announced last week that he is retiring because of an ongoing right knee issue, said Wednesday that playing alongside 22-time Slam champion Nadal would be a unique, fitting way to go out.
“For as long as we battled together, having had always this respect for one another, our families, coaching teams, for us as well to go through a career we both have had, come out the other side and have a nice relationship, is maybe a great message to tennis and beyond,” Federer said.
The three-day team event will begin Friday afternoon at The O2 Arena with two singles matches. Norwegian Casper Ruud, the runner-up at the US Open earlier this month, will play Sock in the opener before Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece takes on Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman.
The evening session will begin with former world No. 1 Andy Murray up against Alex de Minaur before Federer takes the court for the final time.