Home

Olympics

“We Both Cried”: Years Before Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s Iconic Laver Cup Moment, Wayne Gretzky Faced a Similar Situation in His Final Game in 1999

Published 12/31/2022, 3:00 PM EST

Follow Us

via Imago

The 20 years of the decorated NHL career of Wayne Gretzky have seen a lot of greatness. This also includes the moment when he set foot on the ice rink of the NHL as a player for the last time. It was similar to the Swiss Maestro, Roger Federer‘s Laver Cup retirement event. In fact, the event was one of the most emotional moments in sports history, as it marked the retirement of a tennis legend.

In an interview, Ulf Samuelsson recalled his moments with Wayne Gretzky during the hockey legend’s last game. He recalls the months with the Great One he had on and off the field. Even though it had been decades, he was hit with the same wave of emotions as in 1999.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Samuelsson still misses Wayne Gretzky

Sharing different playstyles didn’t create a barrier between them. Although on and off the field, they shared a lot in common. According to Gretzky, they both had the same mindset while playing the sport. He even mentions how both of their wives loved to hang out. They would always have a good time with each other in restaurants having dinner.

via Getty

“I was injured and the Red Wings gave me permission to go to New York to see Wayne play his last game. He didn’t know I was there until I got down to the bench after the game, and as he waved goodbye to the fans. Suddenly, he was me, and skated over and gave me a hug. We both cried. It was an emotional moment,” Samuelsson recalls as reported by The Hockey Beast

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest Olympics stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Wayne Gretzky was about to retire after setting unbreakable NHL records. Gretzky had a final dance with the Pittsburgh Penguins, which ended in a 2-1 overtime loss at Madison Square Garden. The entire world was watching one of the greatest ice hockey players walk away from the ice rink.

Different sport but the same emotion

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Earlier this year, on September 24, Roger Federer teamed up with arguably his greatest rival Rafael Nadal, and retired from his 24-year-long tennis journey. Federer lost the last match of his significant tennis career to the American pair of Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe at the Laver Cup.

via Getty

Rafael Nadal broke down in tears after Federer gave his farewell speech. The whole sporting world witnessed both holding hands and crying their eyes out. Nadal mentioned in the interview that both his friend and his toughest opponent were going away from the tennis court at the same time.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

WATCH THIS STORY – Five Years After Olympia’s Birth, Serena Williams Discloses Emotional Moment Where She Was Racked With ‘Guilt’ – ‘Hard To Accept..’

Did you also get emotional watching the retirement games of both Gretzky and Federer? Let us know in the comment section.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Rahul Goutam Hoom

881Articles

One take at a time

Rahul Goutam Hoom is a US Sports writer for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Master's in Mass Communication and Journalism from Birla Global University. Rahul does photography and gaming during his leisure hours and likes to watch anime.
Show More>

Edited by:

Tony Thomas