Roger Federer brings down curtain on his career with a defeat, but still dazzles alongside longtime friend and rival Rafael Nadal.
This was perhaps the last act in a career that has seen a player-by-player-by-player progression through the rankings. Now Roger Federer holds the world No.1 ranking, with Rafael Nadal just short of it. There is no greater celebration than a player having his best year, as Federer has. Federer, ranked No. 2 right now and on a 16-match winning streak, won the Australian Open and Olympic gold. All you have to do is look back at these matches to see the highs and lows of Federer’s amazing career.
In some ways, Federer has had the most impressive and dramatic year of his career. He became the first man in history with a singles Grand Slam title, the first man to win the U.S. Open, the first Federer to claim a major at age 34, the first man to win a Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, and most importantly, the first Federer-Nadal duet since 2004.
Federer has now won his last four major singles titles and his 21 career finals are tied with Nadal for the most by any active player today. It has been a rollercoaster year, but one that has been made even more remarkable by the fact that Federer’s career never really entered into the realm of being defined by his accomplishments at each event. Federer’s ranking was tied with Nadal’s at the start of the year, but he has found a way to win his last four majors at a higher level than Nadal.
After winning his four major singles titles, Federer went on to become the new king of mixed doubles, earning his first Grand Slam gold in Miami. Federer has always wanted to win a major at the same time as his friend and rival Nadal for a long time, but the reality is that Federer had more chances to win, and he almost always chose to do what the best has to do, which is to win
