THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Roger, it doesn’t get any closer than that in a way to finish the inaugural championship.
ROGER FEDERER: Yes. (Laughter.)

You need more? More sound bytes? Shall I stretch it?

Yes, you’re right. No, like I said on court, I was getting ready for the doubles mentally, but kind of felt good going into the breaker.

It was a wonderful week, wonderful week to spend time with the guys. You know, in a perfect world you want to stay home and be with your friends and families and all that, but there is another life that we have which is on tour. To spend it this way was an incredible journey, really. It was way better than I ever thought it was going to be.

To see the smiling faces and the happiness in everybody winning and holding the trophy and winning that match point, and also the feeling I had on the inside felt like winning some of the biggest matches in my life.

It’s nice it is this way, and it was extremely close. It was like a fairy tale for all of us, or for me, at least, at the end. I’m happy I could deliver the crucial three points at the end for Team Europe.

Q. You’re part of making this thing happen and part of designing it from the beginning. Does that change the feeling when you’re out there playing it, knowing you’re part owner in a way?
ROGER FEDERER: I mean, look, I was really focused on having a good time. I feel like I get more credit than I deserve, just because, you know, a lot of people put in heroic efforts, and I’d like to thank all of them. The people who were behind this event from the get-go believed in it and the vision and the dream.

So to see it all come alive and at the end the team showing up, playing well, Team World coming up and putting on an unbelievable show and playing their absolute best because they had to, because our team was stacked with world-class players, Top 10 players, it was always going to be tough for them.

It was indoors, a faster court to play on if you serve well. That’s why it was a nail biter at the end.

For me, personally, it’s a dream scenario. I’d like to thank each one of them for their efforts. Rafa was the first to sign up. He was there from the start. I can’t thank him enough. Björn and John, to accept their role as captains and honor the great man in Rod Laver, it all worked out. It’s really a dream.

Q. Obviously this event, there has been quite a lot, you have been very identified with it, quite a lot riding on it for you. Not everyone in the game has kind of recognized it. Do you feel that the very obvious success of this initial event, in some way, you’ve kind of proved a point?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, yes, I mean, there is pressure having to prove that it’s successful. The only way it was ever going to be successful is if the players cared. And they did. I think you see it. I think you see the happiness. The Laver Cup trophy is still sprayed with champagne, so that means we have already been celebrating.

It’s been a wonderful journey. I just hope to, you know, to leave a legacy behind, not for me personally but just for the game, because it deserves it. It deserves the players, and the legends of this game deserve the recognition they deserve. The future players deserve a massive platform to play tennis in.

And the likes of our team, the young guys, Dominic and Sascha, and on the World Team all the young guys there, they will hopefully play for years and decades to come this competition. For me, as an older guy, and Rafa and other guys on the team, it was a pleasure taking part in the very first one.

Q. Rafa, you looked really nervous.
ROGER FEDERER: Why were you nervous? Explain me this (laughter).

Q. Do you often feel like that? I haven’t seen you look quite so much in agony at the side of the court before.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, very close, no? We know that the way that the competition works, Sunday is crucial, so anything could happen.

And we were lucky that — well, lucky. I don’t know if lucky or not, but we are lucky to be 9-3 before today, no? Every match have been so close.  Continue reading “Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev speak after winning Laver Cup” →