“Important to Play With Roger Federer”: Leonardo Mayer Recalls Most Memorable Match on Retirement Day

Leonardo Mayer of Argentina recently announced his retirement from professional tennis. The former World No.21 competed for almost two decades after turning pro in 2003. Mayer won 3 ATP titles in his career including singles and doubles events. One of the notable moments in his career was when he came up against Roger Federer.

In a recent interview, Mayer reflected on his career and bid his goodbye to the sport with a smile. He also recalled his match against Roger Federer in 2104, where he had five match points but couldn’t convert into a victory.

An unbelievable contest between Leonardo Mayer and Roger Federer

Mayer had a long and successful career and was content with the things he achieved on the court. However, he clearly remembers one unfavorable match he played against the maestro Roger Federer at Shanghai Open in 2014. Despite having 5 match points, Mayer couldn’t overcome the Swiss Maestro.

Mayer said, “I still find that match unbelievable because I never thought I would have a chance to beat him on that occasion. The day after losing I was happy, it’s very difficult to play against someone you admire that much; you always see them on TV and you can’t imagine playing against them.”

Furthermore, he added, “It was important to me to play with Federer even though I didn’t beat him. If I’d beaten him it would only have given me 45 more points at the time and allowed me to say ‘I beat him,‘ that’s all.”

About this match, Federer said it was one of the luckiest matches he ever played. Leonardo Mayer has admitted on many occasions that he admires Roger Federer a lot, and to play against him was a special moment.

ALSO READ: Roger Federer, Venus Williams, and Others Feature in Tennis Players Dream Mixed Doubles Partners