NY Times · Sep 22, 2022
As Roger Federer Retires, Two Great Rivalries Come to an End
Roger Federer, right, shaking hands with Novak Djokovic during a practice session on Thursday ahead of the Laver Cup while on the court with Rafael Nadal, wearing a white hat. Credit...Glyn Kirk/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesBaseball has the Yankees and Red Sox. Soccer has F.C. Barcelona and Real Madrid. College football has Michigan and Ohio State.
Over the past two decades, men’s tennis has had Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and also Federer and Novak Djokovic. In team sports, rosters change year by year and the rivalries endure. But when players retire in individual sports like tennis, their rivalries go with them.