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Roger Federer, 20-time Grand Slam champion and considered one of the best tennis players in history, announced Thursday that he will retire after the Laver Cup in London at the end of September.
“Next week’s Laver Cup in London will be my last ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future of course, but no more grand slams or on tour“, said the tennis player in a statement on Twitter.
Federer will retire being the third player with the most Grand Slams in the history of men’s tennissurpassed by the Serbian Novak Djokovic (21) and the Spanish Rafael Nadal (22).
The Swiss got six Australian Opens, one Roland Garros, eight Wimbledons and five US Opens.
However, in recent years his participation in these tournaments has been reduced by injuries and operations that have frequently kept him away from the courts.
“The last three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and operations. I have worked hard to return to full competitive form, but I also know the capabilities and limits of my body,” Federer explained Thursday in a message posted on their social networks.
image source, Getty Images
“This is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the tour has given me,” Federer added.
“But at the same time, there’s a lot to celebrate. I consider myself one of the luckiest people on Earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis and I did it at a level I never imagined for much longer than I ever did. I thought possible.”
As well as thanking his family, his team and his fans, Federer also thanked his opponents in a golden era of men’s tennis.
“I was lucky to play so many epic matches i will never forget. We fought fairly, with passion and intensity, and I always did my best to respect the history of the game.”
“I feel extremely grateful. We pushed each other and together we took tennis to new levels.”
image source, Getty Images
Federer’s last Grand Slam triumph came at the 2018 Australian Open.
Federer made his professional debut at age 16 in 1998 and won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003.
Federer’s last Grand Slam triumph came at the 2018 Australian Open when, at 36, he became the second-oldest man to win a major title in the Open era.
After rising to number one in the world for the first time in 2004, spent 310 weeks as the leading player of la ATP during his career, a record until Djokovic surpassed it in February 2021.
He won oro Olympic in doubles for Switzerland with Stan Wawrinka in Beijing 2008 and silver in singles in London 2012.
He was also part of the Swiss team that won the Davis Cup for the first time in 2014 and captured a record six ATP Masters Cup titles.
Federer’s retirement announcement comes less than two weeks after 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams played at the US Open in what could be the last match of her career.
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