SWITZERLAND: Tennis legend Roger Federer, the first male player to win 20 Grand Slam titles, has announced his decision to retire from the sport after the 2022 Laver Cup.
Federer announced his decision in a post on his Twitter account. Federer won his first Grand Slam in 2003 when he won the Wimbledon title. Since then he won 6 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 8 Wimbledon and 5 US Open. He has been struggling with a knee injury for a long time.
“Next week’s Laver Cup in London will be my last ATP venture,” he said in a statement posted on his Twitter account.
The 41-year-old winner of 20 Grand Slam titles had been sidelined since a quarter-final loss at Wimbledon in 2021 before undergoing another bout of knee surgery.
Federer’s announcement comes on the heels of Serena Williams’ retirement. Serena retired with the second most Grand Slam titles in the women’s game (23).
Federer is third in the total number of Grand Slam titles won, behind his main rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Federer, coached by Ivan Ljubicic and Severin Luthi, was the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world No. 1 for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, and five year-end No. 1 finishes.
He has won 103 ATP singles titles, second most all-time behind Jimmy Connors, including 20 Grand Slam singles titles, a record 8 Wimbledon men’s singles titles, an Open Era record, tied for five US Open men’s singles titles and a record six. Championship at the end of the year.
His tweet read, “For my tennis family and beyond, of all the gifts tennis has given me over the years, without a doubt the greatest people I have met along the way have been; my friends, my competitors and above all the fans who give life to this sport. Today I want to share some news with you all.”
“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I have been working hard to get back into full competitive shape. But I also know the possibilities and limits of my body, and its message has been clear to me lately. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches in 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever dreamed and now I have to recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”
He further wrote, “Next week’s Laver Cup will be my last ATP venture. Of course, I will play more tennis in the future, but not in Grand Slams or on tour. This is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the tour has given me. But at the same time, there is something to celebrate. I consider myself one of the luckiest people on earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis and I have been doing it at a level I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible.”
Ending it Federer said, “I would especially like to thank my wonderful wife Mirka, who spent every minute with me. She warmed me up before the finals, watching countless matches even though I’m over 8 months pregnant. And he kept his goofy side on the road with his team for over 20 years. I also want to thank my 4 wonderful children for supporting me, always wanting to explore new places and making wonderful memories.”
Also Read: Ex-Tennis Player Leander Paes Found Guilty of Domestic Violence Against Rhea Pillai
