Roger Federer has announced that he will retire from tennis after the Laver Cup tournament later this month.
The sports star, who spent 24 years as one of tennis’ most prolific players, shared the news via his social media channels overnight. In the post, Federer cites the injuries he has sustained over the past three years as the reason for his retirement, writing that while he’s “worked hard to return to full competitive form,” he is still aware of his “body’s capacities and limits.”
“[The] message to me lately has been clear,” Federer said, “I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years… I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career.” The athlete went on to thank the tennis world for treating him “more generously than [he] ever would have dreamt,” before assuring fans that he’d continue to play non-grand slam and non-tour matches.
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Federer — who made his debut on the court in 1998 — has long been regarded as one of tennis’ greats. The Swiss player comprises one-third of the sport’s trio of stars, alongside Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, and held the game’s number one spot for a record-breaking 237 consecutive weeks. Federer’s storied career also includes multiple Wimbledon, Australian Open, Grand Slam and Olympic medal wins.
Roger,
Where do we begin?
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. pic.twitter.com/VDWylKvW86
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) September 15, 2022
Federer’s final match will take place next week at London’s Laver Cup, where he’ll play alongside fellow legends Djokovic, Nadal and Andy Murray. The tournament — which takes its name from Australian tennis player, Rod Laver — pits six of Europe’s best tennis players against competitors from across the world, and runs for six days from September 23.
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Federer’s retirement comes weeks after fellow tennis legend, Serena Williams likewise farewelled the sport. Williams, who spent 27 years on the court, played her final match at the US Open tournament last week, hanging up her racquet to expand her family. Meanwhile, earlier in the year, Australian tennis star, Ash Barty similarly called it quits at just 25 years old, saying that “the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams.”
