Laver Cup Protester Lights Arm on Fire Hours Ahead of Roger Federer's Last-Ever Match

By Brian Jones

A protester lit his arm and portions of the court on fire hours before Roger Federer was scheduled to play in his final tennis match, according to the Associated Press. The incident happened at the Laver Cup in London and delayed the start of the second set of Stefanos Tsitsipas' 6-2, 6-1 win for Team Europe over Diego Schwartzman of Team World. The protester was seen carrying a lighter and wearing a shirt that read "end UK private jets." He made his way onto the court and sat down near the net before he was escorted away by security guards. According to Sky Sports, the man was arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass. 

"It came out of nowhere. I have no idea what this is all about. I never had an incident like this happen on court. I hope he is all right," 24-year-old Tsitsipas said after the match, per PEOPLE. "I wanted to proceed the match without having any minor changes to the court and to make sure it was playable, especially that area. It also got in my way of viewing experience, the way I saw the court later. There was a big mark over there and I just wanted to get it cleared up."  

Federer is pairing with Rafael Nadal in the Laver Cup. The tennis superstar announced last week that he was going to retire after he competes in the event. "As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries," Federer said during his retirement announcement. "I've worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body's capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career."

In his career, Federer won 103 ATP singles titles, the second most of all time. He also won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and eight of those came at Wimbledon. Federer also won a Gold Medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. 

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