Swiss tennis star and 20-time Grand Slam singles champion Roger Federer has announced that he will retire from competitive tennis after the Laver Cup in London later this month. The 41-year-old will leave the sport as one of the best tennis players of his generation and will remain one of the most famous Swiss people of all time.
In a statement published on Twitter, Federer announced that the Laver Cup in London will be his final ATP event. “I will play more tennis in future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on Tour”, he noted.
Across his 24-year career, the man from Basel has played more than 1.500 competitive matches. During that time, he lifted 103 ATP singles titles and 20 Grand Slam titles including eight at Wimbledon, five at the US Open, one at the French Open and six at the Australian Open.
“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…Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career”, he said.
Federer was born in Basel and spent the majority of his early years training in and around the Swiss city, before being selected at the age of 14 to train at the Swiss National Tennis Centre in Écublens, Canton Vaud. Along with his tennis career, Federer is ever-present in Swiss culture, being the face of many top brands and international companies.
After thanking his family, sponsors and fans, Federer concluded that “the last 24 years on tour have been an incredible adventure… it has also been so deep and magical that it seems as if I’ve already lived a full lifetime. I have had the immense fortune to play in front of you in over 40 different countries. I have laughed and cried, felt joy and pain, and most of all I have felt incredibly alive.”
“So, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart, to everyone around the world who has helped make the dreams of a young Swiss ball kid come true. Finally, to the game of tennis: I love you and will never leave you.”