Federer: "I lost my job, but I'm very happy"

Roger Federer insists last weekend's farewell at the Laver Cup was the perfect send-off.

It was an emotional weekend in London as the all-time great Swiss star waved goodbye to his playing career at London's O2 Arena in Team Europe's first defeat to Team World at the Laver Cup.

Federer only competed in a doubles pairing with long-term rival and great friend Rafa Nadal, a match they lost to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in three sets in what would prove to be his last outing in a competitive tennis match.

There have been some who fear 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer's legacy may be harmed with that final defeat coupled with a 6-0 bagel when beaten by Poland's Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon in 2021.

But, speaking to Christopher Clarey in an exclusive interview with The New York Times, the retiring 41-year-old is adamant it was a fine way to go.

He said: "I think I feel complete. I lost my last singles match. I lost my last doubles match. I lost my voice from screaming and supporting the team. I lost the last time as a team. I lost my job, but I’m very happy.

"I’m good. I’m really good. That’s the ironic part, is everybody thinks about happy fairy-tale endings, you know? And for me, actually it ended up being that but in a way that I never thought was going to happen."

The result of Sunday's fifth edition of the Laver Cup almost seemed like an afterthought such was the emotion and feeling around Federer's retirement, and this was never more clear than in the now infamous photo of Federer and Nadal holding hands at the side of the court both in floods of tears.

And Federer explained the moment was a thank you to Nadal for years of battle on the court.

Rafa Nadal struggled to contain his emotions during Federer's final moments

He added: "I guess at one point, just because obviously I couldn’t speak and the music was there, I guess I just touched him, and I guess it’s maybe a secret thank you. I don’t know what it was, but for me, that’s maybe what it was and how it felt and some pictures came out of it."