Roger Federer announces retirement; 20-time Grand Slam champion will play Laver Cup as final tennis event
Roger Federer is retiring from professional tennis at the age of 41 after a series of knee surgeries, bringing to a close a career that saw him win 20 Grand Slam titles, finish five seasons at No. 1 and help usher in a golden era of men’s tennis with rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“As many of you know, the last three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries,” Federer said on his social media accounts on Thursday. “I’ve been working hard to get back into full competitive shape. But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message has been clear to me lately.”
“I am 41 years old. In 24 years I have played more than 1,500 matches. Tennis has treated me more generously than I could have ever dreamed and now I have to recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”
With his 20 Grand Slam titles, Federer ranks third among male players in history only behind contemporaries Nadal (22) and Djokovic (21).
Federer said he intends to continue playing tennis “but not at the Grand Slams or on the tour.” He has not played a competitive match since the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2021 and announced in mid-August that he had undergone further knee surgery.
But he appeared at an event to mark the centenary of Center Court at the All England Club in July and said he hoped to return and “play there one more time”. He also said he will return to the Swiss Indoors in October.
“It’s a bittersweet decision because I’m going to miss everything the tour has given me,” Federer said. “But at the same time, there’s so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the luckiest people on Earth. I’ve been given a special talent to play tennis and I’ve been doing it at a level I never imagined. Longer than I ever thought possible.”
Nadal expressed a similar sentiment, tweeting: “I wish this day would never come,” but also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to “share all these years with you, so many wonderful moments on and off the court.”
Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray will play together for the first time when they compete as part of Team Europe at the Laver Cup in London on September 23-25. Named after Australian great Rod Laver and run by Federer’s management company, the three-day team event pits Europe’s top six players against six from the rest of the world.
Tony Godsick, Federer’s agent since 2005, told The Associated Press that Federer had struggled in his recent recovery from knee surgery.
“A couple of weeks after Wimbledon he informed me that the knee was not responding as well as it should have and that he was thinking about retiring,” Godsick said in a telephone interview. “Years ago I suggested to him that he should stop. Few tennis players at his level push into their 40s. But he was always interested in challenging himself. And at the end of the day, after more than 1,500 matches, the tires finally wore out. And in the next phase has work to do.’
Federer retires with 103 tournament-level titles and 1,251 singles wins, both tied for second only to Jimmy Connors in the Open era that began in 1968. Federer’s records include being the oldest No. 1 in the history of the ATP rankings — he returned to the top spot at age 36 in 2018 – and most consecutive weeks there; his total for weeks was eclipsed by Djokovic.
The dominance shown by Federer at the height of his powers is unmatched, including reaching 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals and winning eight between 2005 and 2007, a run that extended to 18 of 19 major finals by 2010.
In a sport where changes in surface and other conditions can make even the best players excited by appearing in the second week of a Slam here and there, Federer compiled streaks of 36 consecutive quarterfinals and 23 consecutive semifinals from 2004 to 2013. .
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“Roger Federer is a champion of champions. He has the most complete game of his generation and has captured the hearts of sports fans around the world with his amazing court speed and strong tennis mind,” said Hall of Famer Billie Jean King. “He had a storied career with memories that will live on and on.”
When Federer won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, Pete Sampras held the men’s record for most titles; The American won his 14th at the US Open the year before, which turned out to be the last match of his career.
Federer would surpass that and finish with 20, winning eight Wimbledon championships, six at the Australian Open, five at the US Open and one at the French Open. His 2009 Roland Garros trophy enabled Federer to complete a career Grand Slam.
His serve, forehand, footwork and attacking style will all be remembered. Also memorable were his matches against younger rivals Nadal, 36, and Djokovic, 35, both of whom tied, then beat Federer’s Slam singles and still win titles at the sport’s four biggest tournaments.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play so many epic matches that I’ll never forget,” Federer said in Thursday’s announcement. Addressing his “competitors on the court”, though not by name, he wrote: “We pushed each other and together we took tennis to a new level.”
Federer and his wife Mirka — also a tennis player; they met as athletes at the Olympics – they have two twins.
