Monday digest: Roger Federer bids goodbye to professional tennis, Team World’s first Laver Cup triumph

In case you missed it

It was a historical and emotional weekend for tennis fans around the world. In the fifth edition of the Laver Cup, brainchild of Roger Federer, the Swiss Maestro himself stepped on court for the last time as a tennis professional. Choosing the team competition as his last stage, Federer gathered as much star power as any of the four majors, putting up a team with himself, greatest rivals Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray, and the future generation of men’s tennis in Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Matteo Berrettini, and Cameron Norrie, led by Team Captain Bjorn Borg. 

While it did not end up being the perfect farewell party, Federer enjoyed his last moments before retirement showing the world not only how much he loves tennis, but also how meaningful a relationship he built with his peers over the years. A teary Rafael Nadal said that “part of my life is leaving,” after the doubles match with his greatest rival. The two giants of the game went on to lose the match, 4-6 7-6(2) 11-9, despite having held a match point on Federer’s serve in the match tie-break.

In the end, Team World also denied Federer a last trophy, coming back from 4-8 down on Sunday to win the tournament, 13-8. Incredible performances by Félix-Auger Aliassime in the doubles with American Jack Sock and in singles against Novak Djokovic gave Team World a 10-8 lead. US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe then pulled off the comeback of the tournament, saving four match points en route to defeating World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas 1-6, 7-6(11), 10-8, and sealing the victory for John McEnroe’s team for the first time. 

Felix Auger-Aliassime: team player 

The top Canadian in singles kept breaking new ground in his career and for Canadian tennis during the Laver Cup. Auger-Aliassime has been successful in all team competitions he played this year, winning the ATP Cup in January and helping Team Canada presented by Sobeys to qualify for the Davis Cup quarterfinals which take place in Malaga in November.  

The World No. 13 also became the first Canadian player to beat Novak Djokovic, picking up his second win over a member of the Big Three, having also beaten Roger Federer in Halle in 2021. 

Gaby Dabrowski on a roll 

Doubles specialist Gaby Dabrowski kept her great form, winning the Toray Pan Pacific Tennis Championships in Tokyo, this time partnering back up with Giuliana Olmos as the no. 2 seeded team. It is her second title and eighth match-win in a row, not dropping a set in any of those. 

The WTA 500 trophy is also the doubles World No. 8’s third title of the season, having also been crowned champion in Madrid earlier this year with Olmos.

Watch this week: Shapovalov back in competition 

Denis Shapovalov is back in action this week at the Eugene Korea Open Tennis Championships in Seoul as the fourth seed. Shapovalov’s last tournament was at the US Open, where he was defeated in the third round by World No. 11 Andrey Rublev in an epic five-set match lasting four hours and eight minutes where he led by two sets to one.

The left hander is looking to bounce back from a flat period in his career, having last reached a quarterfinal at Rome in May, after he defeated Rafael Nadal for just the second time in six meetings.

The tournament is back in Seoul for the first time since 1996, and features two Top 10 players: No. 2 Casper Ruud and No. 8 Cameron Norrie. 

Under the Radar 

At the ATP Challenger Tour this week, Alexis Galarneau gets back to work at the LTP Men’s Open in Charleston after a crushing first-round loss to Nick Chappell in the Tennis Ohio Championships, and will face top seeded Jordan Thompson in the first round. Thompson is coming off a great week also in Columbus, having claimed the title without dropping a set, including a victory over Granby champion Gabriel Diallo. 

Gabriel Diallo, who made his Davis Cup debut earlier this month had a successful week having reached the quarterfinals in Ohio after a marathon 75, 67(6), 75 win against Great Britain’s Aidan McHugh in three hours, 38 minutes.