The Laver Cup 2022 holds bitter-sweet memories as it shattered the hearts of millions. When the moment came, reality hit harder than a storm. The players in the O2 arena became eye-witnesses to the melancholic retirement of the legend of the sport. Roger Federer united the tennis world, and the final match of his career made even the stoics shed tears. The American no.1 Taylor Fritz was certainly one of them.

Though young players in Team Europe and Team World watched the legend more on their TVs than live, they all shared the same passion and love for the game. It did not matter who won; it was a night dedicated to King Roger and his imprint on tennis. Everyone has a personal story to tell about the iconic day in tennis, and Taylor Fritz is no exception.

Roger Federer’s last match emotions through Taylor Fritz’s lens

Fritz was an opponent team member, but competition could not make its way through sportsmanship and admiration. Though it was brief, the American seized his moment to interact with Federer. The ATP’s 9th seed lay the details and emotions of the night bare as he is set to play his 3rd Laver Cup after the US Open.

In the pre-tournament press conference, a reporter asked Fritz about his most significant memory from the last year. The Atlanta Open champion revealed, “…being there for Roger’s retirement, getting to talk to him, shake his hand, all that when he’s retiring, that’s something that I’ll never forget. Aside from that, obviously winning the whole event, being able to celebrate with the team.”

Fritz added, “I think that’s something that was so great because I was talking about it the other day actually. In tennis, when you win, which obviously every week everyone loses but one person, so when you do have those weeks where you win, you don’t really have people to celebrate with because it’s an individual sport.”

Along with this, the American also discussed how different it felt playing with a team and what makes the Laver Cup 2023 stand out since its inception.

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Did the Swiss Maestro mark the end of an era in the Laver Cup?

The 25-year-old made an honest revelation about the team events, disclosing that a win becomes more special if it comes as a team. In sports like tennis, though a player grabs a major title, not having anyone to celebrate the win makes it a disheartening moment. So Fritz’s first-ever Laver Cup win of the Team World would always be memorable.

This year, the American champion will play the Laver Cup with new teams that do not include the ‘Big 4.’ Team Europe, which had Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray, won four consecutive titles. But in 2022, it was young players who ended their reign. Fritz shared his thoughts on the brand-new era of the Laver Cup, packed with young talent.

The champion, who holds a straight-set victory against Rafa, is glad the teams will be even for the first time. Fritz says playing the tournament for the first time is fun, whereas Team Europe does not exhibit a monopoly in bets. But fans are utterly disappointed as their childhood idols who drew them to the game would be away.

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It is what it is. A general shift had to come at one point, and adapting to the change and encouraging new talent like the 90s people did for Rafa and Federer will take the sport a long way.