Tennis Legend Roger Federer will retire after the Laver Cup next week in London.
The 41-year-old superstar posted on Instagram: "I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career."
Federer's last match was on July 7, 2021, when he lost to Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-0 at Centre Court in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.
Soon after, Federer underwent surgery for the third time in 1 1/2 years on his right knee to correct cartilage and meniscus damage, according to Spin.
Roger Federer noted that the previous three years gave him challenges "in the form of injuries and surgeries."
"I've worked hard to return to full competitive form," he said. "But I also know my body's capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear."
To my tennis family and beyond,
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 15, 2022
With Love,
Roger pic.twitter.com/1UISwK1NIN
Honoring Rivals
The Swiss tennis superstar dominated men's tennis over the past two decades while competing against 21-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic and 22-time grand slam winner Rafael Nadal, according to CNN.
He also expressed extreme gratitude to the great athletes he faced on the court for bringing out the best in him.
"I was lucky enough to play so many epic matches that I will never forget. We battled fairly, with passion and intensity, and I always tried my best to respect the history of the game. I feel extremely grateful."
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His rival, Rafael Nadal, honored Federer on Twitter.
Nadal tweeted: "Dear Roger, my friend, and rival. I wish this day would have never come. It's a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world. It's been a pleasure but also an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court."
The Spanish tennis superstar added: "We will have many more moments to share together in the future, there are still lots of things to do together, we know that ... I'll see you in London."
Injuries to his knees have plagued Federer as he acknowledged. During that time, he has only twice progressed past the fourth round of a Grand Slam.
Legendary Career
He entirely disappeared from the ATP singles rankings for the first time since his 1997 debut this past July, and he slipped out of the top 50 global rankings for the first time since 2000 this past June.
Roger Federer, though, was the world's finest tennis player throughout his heyday.
He held the record for the longest sequence of dominance in ATP history (237 weeks, from February 2, 2004, to August 17, 2008), and on June 24, 2018, at the age of 36, he was the oldest player to hold the position.
Federer has won 82% of his 1,526 career singles matches and has 103 career championships, second-most in the Open Era, per Yahoo! News.
Only Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have more Grand Slam singles championships than him (20 each), with 21 and 22, respectively.
