"There was never this situation that he could never beat them" - Severin Luthi on how Team Roger Federer prepared for matches against Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal

Roger Federer's long-time coach and good friend Severin Luthi has opened up on how the team prepared for matches against Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal - two of Federer's biggest rivals.

Federer - along with Nadal and Djokovic - are widely regarded as three of the best players in the sport's history. The Swiss, though, wasn't seen in singles action since Wimbledon last year due to a knee injury. He called time on his illustrious career at the Laver Cup last weekend - where he played doubles with Nadal.

Over the years, the 41-year-old enjoyed a riveting rivalry with Nadal and Djokovic - often clashing at the business end of the biggest tournaments. Federer ended up with a losing record against both legends.

Although the Swiss never led in his H2H with Nadal, he won six of his last seven matches to reduce the deficit to 24-16. Against Djokovic, Federer dominated the rivalry early on, but the younger Serb won six of their last seven matches to lead 27-23.

In an ATP Tennis Radio podcast with Chris Bowers, Luthi said that the Federer camp had no qualms about the quality of Nadal and Djokovic and didn't expect to win every match. However, he added that Federer never thought the duo were invincible.

"There was never this situation that he could never beat them," said Luthi. "Against players like these, there is a chance that you lose matches. You cannot beat them every time. I think it's also wrong to press the panic button. We always analyse the games - whether he won them or lost. You try to stay stable and not panic."

Federer lost his last match against Djokovic (2020 Australian Open semifinal) but won against Nadal (2019 Wimbledon semifinal).

---

Roger Federer's stellar career by numbers

Roger Federer at the 2022 Laver Cup

Roger Federer carved out a niche for himself during his 24-year career. Since making his tour debut in 1998, Federer racked up a staggering 1251 singles match wins and 103 titles - both tallies bettered only by Jimmy Connors (1274 wins, 109 titles).

Federer won 20 Grand Slams, six ATP Finals and 28 Masters 1000 titles, and was No. 1 for a record consecutive 237 weeks (310 overall) between 2004 and 2008. He's the only player in the Open Era to do a five-peat at the US Open (2004-08) and the only one to do so at consecutive Majors (also Wimbledon - 2003-07). The Swiss is the only player to win ten titles at a tournament on two surfaces (Halle-grass; Basel-hardcourt).

Nevertheless, Federer's legacy goes beyond numbers, as he was a quintessential gentleman both on and off the court. With his signature one-handed backhand, the Swiss painted the court as if it were a canvas. In his prime, Federer made many great players look quite ordinary, making his greatness transcendental.

Although his last appearance on tour resulted in Team Europe's first Laver Cup defeat, Roger Federer wades off into the sunset knowing he had a career for the ages.