"You ruined my life and I was still emotional" - Andy Roddick tells Roger Federer what he truly felt about his Laver Cup retirement ceremony

Andy Roddick interviewed his former rival Roger Federer this weekend in San Francisco, USA, ahead of Day 2 (Saturday, September 20) of the 2025 Laver Cup. The American recounted his own experience of watching the 20-time Major winner hang up his racket at the 2022 edition of the competition, turning it into one of his zingers in a way that only he could've.

Federer was on top of the men's game for over two decades, taking home 103 singles titles, spending 310 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings, and raking in prize money earnings worth $1.3 million. While the Swiss maestro came to be known for his impressive longevity, he was ultimately forced into retirement earlier than he would've liked due to a right knee injury.

Roger Federer's peers and loved ones held his hand during a final bow at the 2022 Laver Cup, where he teamed up in doubles for the last time with his career-defining rival, Rafael Nadal. Andy Roddick looked back on the 44-year-old's farewell to the sport as a competitor during their interaction for his "Served with Andy Roddick" podcast outside the Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday.

The American tongue-in-cheek claimed that even though the Swiss always stopped him from winning big tournaments, he was still very emotional watching the event from back home.

"It's fine! Guys, he's still here. He still has great hair. I know we were all, I mean, you ruined my life for a decade and I was still emotional when I was watching, right?" Andy Roddick said whilst bantering with Roger Federer. "And the fact that Rafa was there, that Novak was there, and yeah, maybe imperfect, maybe not... how quickly you wanted to retire. Health came [first] for you at a certain point."

Federer and Roddick both turned pro on the ATP Tour just a year apart and went on to have a rivalry for the Major titles in the early 2000s. The Swiss won 21 of their 24 tour-level meetings, which included Grand Slam final victories against the American at 2004 Wimbledon, 2005 Wimbledon, the 2006 US Open, and 2009 Wimbledon.

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Roger Federer on his 2022 Laver Cup retirement: "It is a process that I lived very, very vividly"

Having loved the sport of tennis since his childhood, it was evidently tough for Roger Federer to move on at the time of his retirement at the O2 Arena. The 20-time Major winner has now admitted that realizing during his 2021 break that he would have to retire due to his knee niggles was a heartbreaking moment for him.

"It is a process that I lived very, very vividly because I always knew that retirement, for me, it was going to be really difficult," Federer told Roddick. "I just didn't know where I was going to retire, and my knee was getting so silly and I realized I couldn't really come back anymore. So I took a summer break, and then I had to really almost just get out of the sport."

Since his retirement, the Swiss icon has focused more on his business ventures and sponsorships. This week, he worked closely with his long-time agent Tony Godsick and branding expert Steve Zacks to get the 2025 edition of the Laver Cup, which was co-founded by the trio in 2017, up and running.