LONDON — Roger Federer broke the news fans across the world have long been fearing when he announced he will retire from competitive tennis after next week’s Laver Cup in London.
The 41-year-old Swiss, who has won 20 Grand Slam titles and is regarded by many as the best player ever to wield a racket, has not played a match since last year’s Wimbledon.
“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries,” Federer said in a post on Instagram according to Reuters.
“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. I am 41 years old.”
“I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it’s time to end my competitive career.
“The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour.”
Federer, who dominated men’s tennis after winning his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, has been troubled by injuries in recent years.
He has undergone three knee operations in the last two years and his last competitive match was a quarter-final defeat against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz at the 2021 Wimbledon.
Federer had announced he planned to return to the tour when he teams up with long-time rival and friend Rafa Nadal to play doubles at the Laver Cup in London.
He had also planned to play at the Swiss indoors tournament at home in Basel.
He leaves the sport with 20 Grand Slams, including a record eight Wimbledons, 103 titles and more than $130 million in prize money alone, all driven by a rare grace, laser precision and a signature one-handed backhand.
Federer also held the world number one spot for 310 weeks, including 237 consecutive weeks between February 2004 and August 2008.
His net worth was estimated in 2019 at $450 million and such is the cash-register recognition of the Federer brand that in 2018, he penned a 10-year, $300 million deal with clothing manufacturer Uniqlo. He was 36 at the time.
In his prime, Federer left opponents bamboozled. “I threw the kitchen sink at him but he went to the bathroom and got his tub,” sighed an exhausted Andy Roddick after losing the 2004 Wimbledon final.
Off court, however, he is Federer the family man, the father of two sets of twins, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva and Leo and Lenny with wife Mirka, a former player he met at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
As a talented young player, Federer’s hair-trigger temper threatened to stunt his progress.
“I had a tough time getting my act together out on court, trying to behave properly. For me that was a big deal,” he admitted.
At just 19, Federer famously defeated personal hero Pete Sampras at the 2001 Wimbledon tournament.
“A lot of friends had told me, ‘I think you can beat him this year’,” Federer said according to AFP.
“I knew I had a chance. But it was not 100 per cent. I mean, he’s the man on grass.”
Twelve months later, however, Federer exited Wimbledon in the first round.
It took a personal tragedy for him to press the reset.
Just when he turned 21, his coach and close friend from his formative years Peter Carter was killed in a car crash in South Africa.
From that point on, the multi-lingual Federer committed himself to winning in style, no longer consumed by his inner demons.
