Tennis legend and 20-time Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer, on Thursday, September 15, announced that he will be retiring from competitive tennis after the Laver Cup, which is scheduled to take place in London by the end of September this year. “As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. 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,” wrote the 41-year-old Swiss player, who has not played a match since last year’s Wimbledon.
Referring to his decision to retire as a bittersweet decision, Federer went on to say that the last 24 years on tour has been an “incredible adventure”. “While it sometimes feels like it went by in 24 hours, it has also been so deep and magical that it seems as if I’ve already lived a full lifetime,” said Federer, who went on to add that his dreams led him to work harder and to believe in himself.
‘Finally, to the game of tennis: I love you and will never leave you,’ he concluded his farewell note.
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 15, 2022
Suffering from a knee injury for the past three years, Federer had managed to clinch only 3 of the 11 Grand Slams that were held since the start of 2020. Rafael Nadal, with 22 Grand Slam titles, and Novak Djokovic, with 21, are the only two players in the history of the game to have more titles than Federer, who made his professional debut at the age of 16 and 1998.
Reacting to Federer’s retirement, Wimbledon took to Twitter and said: “It's been a privilege to witness your journey and see you become a champion in every sense of the word. We will so miss the sight of you gracing our courts, but all we can say for now is thank you, for the memories and joy you have given to so many”.