Roger Federer, one of the greatest tennis players to ever step on a court, announced on Thursday that he will retire after participating in the Laver Cup from September 23-25.
The Swissman, who is 41, will hang up his shoes after engineering one of the most brilliant athletic careers of all time. He won 20 Grand Slam titles, third all time behind contemporaries Rafael Nadal (22) and Novak Djokovic (21), and had five seasons in which he finished No. 1 in the ATP rankings. At his peak, Federer reached 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals from 2005-2007 (winning eight) and extended that run to 18 of 19 into the 2010 season.
"This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the tour has given me," Federer said. "But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on Earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible."
Federer made the announcement in a Twitter video released on Thursday.
To my tennis family and beyond,
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 15, 2022
With Love,
Roger pic.twitter.com/1UISwK1NIN
Rafael Nadal, perhaps Federer’s greatest rival who was the adversary in many of the Swissman’s greatest matches, said he wishes nothing but the best for Federer going forward
We will have many more moments to share together in the future, there are still lots of things to do together, we know that.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) September 15, 2022
For now, I truly wish you all the happiness with your wife, Mirka, your kids, your family and enjoy what’s ahead of you. I’ll see you in London @LaverCup
Federer has 103 tour-level-titles and 1,251 singles matches wins to his name, both second to only Jimmy Connors in the Open Era, which began in 1968.
He will not be idle in retirement though. In addition to being willing to play in non-tour matches, Federer is in charge of a charitable foundation that bears his name, and he and his wife Mirka have two sets of twins. The future, just like his tennis career, looks bright for him.
