Roger Federer Announces Retirement from Professional Tennis

KOMPAS.com - Tennis great Roger Federer on Thursday, Sept. 15, announced his retirement from professional tennis.

The upcoming Laver Cup, which will take place over three days, concluding on September 25, will be his last ever tournament on the ATP tour.

“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 recognize when it’s time to end my competitive career,” Federer said in a message posted on social media.

The 41-year-old Swiss national -- who has won 20 Grand Slam titles -- added that he intends to keep playing tennis, “but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour.”

He has not played a match since last year’s Wimbledon tournament and has undergone a series of knee operations since the beginning of 2020.

“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. 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,” Federer said.

To my tennis family and beyond,

With Love,
Roger pic.twitter.com/1UISwK1NIN

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 15, 2022

Almost five years unbroken as world number one

His first grand slam win came at Wimbledon in 2003, a tournament he would go on to win a record-breaking eight times.

Since then, he has racked up the third most grand slam wins; only his great rival Rafael Nadal, with 22, and Novak Djokovic, with 21, have more.

He was world number one for a record 237 consecutive weeks as he won six Australian Opens, five US Opens, and eventually, the French Open title in 2009, to complete the set.