<p>World number two Casper Ruud said on Wednesday that a bit of Roger Federer had rubbed off on him after being part of the tennis legend's send-off last week.</p>

<p>The 23-year-old Norwegian reached the final of the US Open earlier this month and then was surrounded by the cream of men's tennis at the Laver Cup in London for Federer's last hurrah.</p>

<p>He enjoyed seeing up close the chemistry between Federer and his long-time rival and friend Rafael Nadal. The duo played together in doubles for Federer's farewell.</p>

<p>"Having those two together in Roger's last match was incredible to witness," Ruud said at the Korea Open in Seoul.</p>

<p>"It was very fun to be around them. They joke with each other all the time.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-was-close-to-retiring-thought-french-open-this-year-might-be-my-last-tournament-rafael-nadal-519556">I was close to retiring, thought French Open this year might be my last tournament: Rafael Nadal</a></p>

<p>"Obviously they're older and at a later stage in their career and it's inspiring to see that they have the motivation to keep going and that they are eager to play and enjoy each other's company.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I was lucky and I was honoured that I was able to be a part of the team. I learned a lot and took a lot of joy with me from the experience."</p>

<p>The top seed Ruud said that the pressure is off in the South Korean capital, where he faces 111th-ranked Nicolas Jarry in his opener on Thursday.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-roger-federer-leaves-everyone-in-tears-as-he-bids-adieu-to-tennis-519333">In pics| Roger Federer leaves everyone in tears as he bids adieu to tennis</a>&nbsp;</p>

<p>"There’s always room for improvement," said Ruud.</p>

<p>"(But) I feel that I have done very well this year, so if it doesn't go extremely well (at the tournament), it's not going to matter too much."</p>


World number two Casper Ruud said on Wednesday that a bit of Roger Federer had rubbed off on him after being part of the tennis legend's send-off last week. The 23-year-old Norwegian reached the final of the US Open earlier this month and then was surrounded by the cream of men's tennis at the Laver Cup in London for Federer's last hurrah.

World number two Casper Ruud said on Wednesday that a bit of Roger Federer had rubbed off on him after being part of the tennis legend's send-off last week. The 23-year-old Norwegian reached the final of the US Open earlier this month and then was surrounded by the cream of men's tennis at the Laver Cup in London for Federer's last hurrah. He enjoyed seeing up close the chemistry between Federer and his long-time rival and friend Rafael Nadal. The duo played together in doubles for Federer's farewell. "Having those two together in Roger's last match was incredible to witness," Ruud said at the Korea Open in Seoul. "It was very fun to be around them. They joke with each other all the time. Also Read: I was close to retiring, thought French Open this year might be my last tournament: Rafael Nadal "Obviously they're older and at a later stage in their career and it's inspiring to see that they have the motivation to keep going and that they are eager to play and enjoy each other's company. "I was lucky and I was honoured that I was able to be a part of the team. I learned a lot and took a lot of joy with me from the experience." The top seed Ruud said that the pressure is off in the South Korean capital, where he faces 111th-ranked Nicolas Jarry in his opener on Thursday. Also Read: In pics| Roger Federer leaves everyone in tears as he bids adieu to tennis "There’s always room for improvement," said Ruud. "(But) I feel that I have done very well this year, so if it doesn't go extremely well (at the tournament), it's not going to matter too much."

World no.2 Casper Ruud takes inspiration from Roger Federer's send-off

In pics| Roger Federer leaves everyone in tears as he bids adieu to tennis

<p>Roger Federer bid an emotional adieu to tennis as he paired up with Rafael Nadal in a doubles event for the final match of his career at the Laver Cup on Saturday. Representing Team Europe, the legendary pair went down fighting against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe of the Team World at the O2 Arena in London.</p>

<p>But the result hardly mattered as the day belonged to Federer, a legend of the game and one of the greatest of all time. It was all about the Swiss ace, who couldn't hold back his tears soon after the game was over and was seen tearing up as he delivered his final speech in front of a packed crowd.</p>

<p>While expressing gratitude to all those who made it to his final match, Federer said he enjoyed tying his shoes for one last time and was glad he managed to successfully complete the match. The Swiss legend admitted he thought something might go wrong and he might end up sustaining an injury during his final game.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/most-beautiful-sporting-picture-ever-virat-kohli-on-image-of-rafael-nadal-crying-alongside-roger-federer-519233">'Most beautiful sporting picture ever': Kohli on image of Rafael Nadal crying alongside Roger Federer</a></p>

<p>"I enjoyed tying my shoes one more time and everything was the last time. Funny enough with all the matches and having the guys and being here (amid) fans, family, friends... didn’t feel the stress so much even though I did think like something was going to go (wrong) - pop a calf or block a back or something in the match," Federer said after the game.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">If there's one thing you watch today, make it this.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LaverCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LaverCup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rogerfederer</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ks9JqEeR6B">pic.twitter.com/Ks9JqEeR6B</a></p>
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<p>Federer was joined by his wife Mirka, his four children and his parents for his farewell match at the O2 Arena. The Swiss maestro was incredibly emotional as he thanked his family for their support and said his tears were out of happiness and not because he was sad.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/it-has-been-a-perfect-journey-i-would-do-it-all-over-again-roger-federer-breaks-down-in-his-farewell-speech-519213">It has been a perfect journey, I would do it all over again: Roger Federer breaks down in his farewell speech</a></p>

<p>The 20-time Grand Slam champion dominated world tennis for almost two decades and enjoyed an unparalleled rivalry with Nadal. Federer secured 1251 wins in his ATP Tour career, the second most after Jimmy Connors, who bagged 1274 wins in his career.&nbsp;He won his last Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2018.</p>

<p>He will be retiring with a total of&nbsp;103 ATP tour-level trophies in his career, placing him only behind&nbsp;Connors, who won 109 tour-level titles. Federer had earlier revealed he had made up his mind&nbsp;about retiring a few months ago due to persistent knee issues and it was only about how to announce it to the rest of the world.</p>


Roger Federer bid an emotional adieu to tennis as he paired up with Rafael Nadal in a doubles event for the final match of his career at the Laver Cup on Saturday.

Roger Federer bid an emotional adieu to tennis as he paired up with Rafael Nadal in a doubles event for the final match of his career at the Laver Cup on Saturday. Representing Team Europe, the legendary pair went down fighting against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe of the Team World at the O2 Arena in London. But the result hardly mattered as the day belonged to Federer, a legend of the game and one of the greatest of all time. It was all about the Swiss ace, who couldn't hold back his tears soon after the game was over and was seen tearing up as he delivered his final speech in front of a packed crowd. While expressing gratitude to all those who made it to his final match, Federer said he enjoyed tying his shoes for one last time and was glad he managed to successfully complete the match. The Swiss legend admitted he thought something might go wrong and he might end up sustaining an injury during his final game. Also Read: 'Most beautiful sporting picture ever': Kohli on image of Rafael Nadal crying alongside Roger Federer "I enjoyed tying my shoes one more time and everything was the last time. Funny enough with all the matches and having the guys and being here (amid) fans, family, friends... didn’t feel the stress so much even though I did think like something was going to go (wrong) - pop a calf or block a back or something in the match," Federer said after the game. If there's one thing you watch today, make it this.#LaverCup | @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/Ks9JqEeR6B — Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 23, 2022 × Federer was joined by his wife Mirka, his four children and his parents for his farewell match at the O2 Arena. The Swiss maestro was incredibly emotional as he thanked his family for their support and said his tears were out of happiness and not because he was sad. Also Read: It has been a perfect journey, I would do it all over again: Roger Federer breaks down in his farewell speech The 20-time Grand Slam champion dominated world tennis for almost two decades and enjoyed an unparalleled rivalry with Nadal. Federer secured 1251 wins in his ATP Tour career, the second most after Jimmy Connors, who bagged 1274 wins in his career. He won his last Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2018. He will be retiring with a total of 103 ATP tour-level trophies in his career, placing him only behind Connors, who won 109 tour-level titles. Federer had earlier revealed he had made up his mind about retiring a few months ago due to persistent knee issues and it was only about how to announce it to the rest of the world.

Roger Federer thought he might 'pop a calf' or 'block a back' in final match of his career

<p>Indian cricket team superstar Virat Kohli shared a picture of Rafael Nadal crying alongside his rival Roger Federer at his final career match calling it the most beautiful sporting picture he has ever seen. Federer teamed up with great rival and friend Nadal in the final match of his decorated career at the Laver Cup in London.</p>

<p>While it was not a fairytale ending for the Swiss legend as the legendary duo lost in a doubles game at the Laver Cup against Team World's&nbsp;Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe, it was more than just the result for Federer. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who had announced his retirement last week, was in tears at the end of the game.</p>

<p>Nadal, who shared an epic rivalry with the Swiss ace,&nbsp;got emotional as well and couldn't hold back his tears after Federer's final match. In emotional scenes at the packed O2 Arena in London, both Nadal and Federer were seen crying alongside each other.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/it-has-been-a-perfect-journey-i-would-do-it-all-over-again-roger-federer-breaks-down-in-his-farewell-speech-519213">It has been a perfect journey, I would do it all over again: Federer breaks down in his farewell speech</a></p>

<p>Kohli took to Instagram to share a picture of the duo crying together and wrote why it is the most beautiful sporting picture for him.</p>

<p>"Who thought rivals can feel like this towards each other. That’s the beauty of sport. This is the most beautiful sporting picture ever for me. When your companions cry for you, you know what you’ve been able to do with your god given talent. Nothing but respect for these 2," Kohli wrote.</p>

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<p>Nadal and Federer came up against each other 40 times, winning a stunning 42 Grand Slam titles between them. While Federer has drawn curtains on his glorious career after winning 20 Grand Slam titles, Nadal remains the most successful player in men's tennis history with 22 Grand Slam titles under his belt.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-rafael-nadal-could-not-hold-back-tears-as-rival-roger-federer-bids-emotional-farewell-to-tennis-519203">WATCH: Rafael Nadal cannot hold back tears as rival Roger Federer bids emotional farewell to tennis</a></p>

<p>Speaking after Federer's farewell match, Nadal said it felt like an important part of his life is also leaving with the Swiss legend.</p>

<p>"For me, (it) has been a huge honour to be a part of this amazing moment of the history of our sport, and at the same time a lot of years sharing a lot of things together," Nadal said as he paid tribute to his long-time rival.</p>

<p>"When Roger leaves the tour, yeah, an important part of my life is leaving too because all the moments he has been next or in front me in important moments of my life. So has been emotional (to) see the family, see all the people. Yeah, difficult to describe. But, yeah, amazing moment," the Spaniard added.</p>


Indian cricket team superstar Virat Kohli shared a picture of Rafael Nadal crying alongside his rival Roger Federer at his final career match calling it the most beautiful sporting picture he has ever seen.

Indian cricket team superstar Virat Kohli shared a picture of Rafael Nadal crying alongside his rival Roger Federer at his final career match calling it the most beautiful sporting picture he has ever seen. Federer teamed up with great rival and friend Nadal in the final match of his decorated career at the Laver Cup in London. While it was not a fairytale ending for the Swiss legend as the legendary duo lost in a doubles game at the Laver Cup against Team World's Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe, it was more than just the result for Federer. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who had announced his retirement last week, was in tears at the end of the game. Nadal, who shared an epic rivalry with the Swiss ace, got emotional as well and couldn't hold back his tears after Federer's final match. In emotional scenes at the packed O2 Arena in London, both Nadal and Federer were seen crying alongside each other. Also Read: It has been a perfect journey, I would do it all over again: Federer breaks down in his farewell speech Kohli took to Instagram to share a picture of the duo crying together and wrote why it is the most beautiful sporting picture for him. "Who thought rivals can feel like this towards each other. That’s the beauty of sport. This is the most beautiful sporting picture ever for me. When your companions cry for you, you know what you’ve been able to do with your god given talent. Nothing but respect for these 2," Kohli wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) × Nadal and Federer came up against each other 40 times, winning a stunning 42 Grand Slam titles between them. While Federer has drawn curtains on his glorious career after winning 20 Grand Slam titles, Nadal remains the most successful player in men's tennis history with 22 Grand Slam titles under his belt. Also Read: WATCH: Rafael Nadal cannot hold back tears as rival Roger Federer bids emotional farewell to tennis Speaking after Federer's farewell match, Nadal said it felt like an important part of his life is also leaving with the Swiss legend. "For me, (it) has been a huge honour to be a part of this amazing moment of the history of our sport, and at the same time a lot of years sharing a lot of things together," Nadal said as he paid tribute to his long-time rival. "When Roger leaves the tour, yeah, an important part of my life is leaving too because all the moments he has been next or in front me in important moments of my life. So has been emotional (to) see the family, see all the people. Yeah, difficult to describe. But, yeah, amazing moment," the Spaniard added.

'Most beautiful sporting picture ever': Virat Kohli on image of Rafael Nadal crying alongside Roger Federer