Roger Federer reveals the best and worst matches of his career ahead of retirement following Laver Cup

Roger Federer has picked his straight-sets win over Lleyton Hewitt in the final of the 2004 US Open as the favourite match of his career.

The 20-time Grand Slam singles champion began his career on the ATP Tour in 1998 after becoming a junior Grand Slam champion at Wimbledon.

Speaking exclusively to Eurosport’s Barbara Schett, Federer revealed that he felt that his 6-0 7-6(3) 6-0 victory over Hewitt was “perfect”, helping him establish his place as the world’s top male tennis player.

“I haven’t really gone back to that and thought ‘let me look through the list’,” Federer said when asked by Schett if there was one match in which he felt he played his best tennis.

“For me the US Open final against Leyton Hewitt, where I won 6-0 7-6 6-0, is special.

“It does not happen like that in Grand Slam finals – where you take off like that in the first set, have a wobble in the second set but then you dominate in the third again.

“For me that match was perfect. I was on top of the world. [I was] world No. 1 and showed the world that I was a deserving world No. 1 and it was against a guy who I respect so much.

“But I really struggled early on in my career and then to end up there to me felt like a perfect storm. I feel like if I looked back I would most like to play that match again.”

The 2004 Flushing Meadows final was the only meeting in a Grand Slam final between Federer and Hewitt.

The Swiss had entered the tournament as the top seed but had to overcome home favourite Andre Agassi in a pulsating five-set quarter-final to help set up a meeting with the Australian.

It was the third Grand Slam singles crown of the year for Federer, an achievement he would repeat twice more during his career, and the first of five consecutive US Open titles.

Asked by Schett to pick the most heartbreaking defeat of his career, Federer chose the 2008 Wimbledon final against Rafael Nadal.

Two tie-breaks and rain delays meant the match continued into deepening evening gloom, with Nadal falling to the floor in exhaustion and delight having secured his first Wimbledon title after his opponent drove a forehand into the net.

“Probably Wimbledon 2008,” said Federer to Schett about his most disappointing loss. “Just because the way it ended in the darkness with Rafa.

“There was so much on the line. It needed a winner. And it went his way. And it was heartbreak.”

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