Roger Federer is hoping to bring the curtain down on his glittering career by teaming up with long-time rival Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup in London.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner announced last week he intended to retire after the three-day tournament which starts on Friday at the O2 arena.
Federer has been struggling with a knee problem that has required multiple surgeries. The Swiss great has been out of action since a quarter-final loss at Wimbledon to Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in 2021. He subsequently announced he needed more surgery on his knee having previously undergone two operations in 2020 that kept him out for more than a year.
The Swiss confirmed on Wednesday that the final match of his illustrious career will be in the doubles on Friday evening. Italian Matteo Berrettini, the first alternate for the tournament that pits Team Europe against Team World, will then take Federer's place over the weekend.
Federer does not yet know whether he will be able to link up with Nadal but said it would be the dream scenario.
"Of course, no doubt," Federer. "I mean, I think it could be quite a unique situation, you know, that if it were to happen."
Federer said he and Nadal, 36, had always maintained a respect for each other. "For us as well to go through a career that we both have had and to come out on the other side and being able to have a nice relationship I think is maybe a great message as well to not just tennis but sports and maybe even beyond," he said.
"For that reason I think it would be great. I don't know if it's going to happen, but I think it could be obviously a special moment."
Federer said he is now at peace with the decision to walk away, which comes a few weeks after Serena Williams played what is expected to be her last match at the US Open, and he wants this farewell to be a celebration.
“I really don’t want it to be a funeral,” Federer said. “I want it to be really happy and powerful and party mode.”
Federer added he was fortunate to have played against legendary opponents like Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
"I never really wanted those rivalries you know. I wish I would have just went off and won everything forever," Federer said.
"But now, looking back I couldn't be happier that we had these incredible matches with Andy. They were tough, we had some brutal matches, heated moments as well, and then we are today really cool with one another.
"Same with Novak, great matches, a lot happened but again we're on the same team super happy to think to be together here. Rafa of course the same thing. I'm very fortunate to be part of that group and then there was also Stan Wawrinka, you know and [Juan Martin Del Potro] Del Po and others in the beginning."
Federer's 20 Grand slam titles has been surpassed by Nadal (22) and Novak Djokovic (21) in an unprecedented golden era for men's tennis. But many still regard him as the greatest player ever to wield a racket.
He claimed 103 career titles, second only to Jimmy Connors, and spent a record 237 consecutive weeks as world number one from 2004 to 2008.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
The five pillars of Islam
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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