This news hits the hearts of many tennis fans: Roger Federer is ending his career. The 41-year-old gives up hope of making a comeback again. But he still plans one last appearance.
With a big declaration of love, Roger Federer said goodbye to his unique career. “Finally, to the tennis game: I love you and will never leave you,” wrote the Swiss superstar at the end of his resignation, which moved many sports fans far beyond the world of tennis.
At the age of 41, the long-standing world number one is now bowing to his battered body. “I have to recognize when it’s time to end my professional career,” Federer said. The Laver Cup in London next week should be his last assignment on the ATP tour.
“It’s a bittersweet decision because I’ll miss everything the Tour gave me,” admitted the Basel native. Federer has won 20 Grand Slam titles and a total of 103 individual titles, played more than 1,500 matches and earned more than $130 million in prize money alone. He was Olympic doubles champion in Beijing in 2008 and won the Davis Cup with Switzerland in 2014. “I want to thank everyone in the world who made a Swiss ball boy’s dreams come true,” Federer wrote.
His decision comes just a few days after the end of the US Open, where Serena Williams (40), another tennis icon, is likely to have played her last match – a turning point for the tennis circus. Across four emotional pages, Federer thanked friends, companions and fans for a time that he found so “magical” that “it feels like I’ve lived my whole life”.
“I know the limits of my body”
Federer also read the well-prepared farewell words on social networks, but only a photo of him could be seen. The news was viewed, shared and commented on hundreds of thousands of times on the Internet. The new world number one Carlos Alcaraz, a 19-year-old muscle man from Spain, just tweeted “Roger…” and a broken heart.
The tennis maestro had long fought to make a comeback. In August last year, he had his third operation on his right knee. Most recently, he was on the tennis court in a match in the quarter-finals in Wimbledon in July 2021. “I know the possibilities and limitations of my body and its recent message to me was clear,” said Federer. At the Laver Cup, which he helped create, he is planning his last serve in London in the European team alongside Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
The son of a Swiss father and a South African mother turned professional in 1998, celebrated his first tournament victory in Milan in 2001 and made his breakthrough in 2003 with the first of eight triumphs on the Wimbledon lawn. Federer fought epic duels with Nadal as well as later with Djokovic. In the course of his more than two-decade career, he reported back several times after injuries or weaker years.
Revered for its aesthetic play
In 2012 he climbed back to the top of the world rankings with his Wimbledon victory. “It has been a privilege to follow your journey and see you mature into a champion in every way. We will miss the sight of you honoring our seats so much. All we can say now is thank you for the memories and the joy that you gave to so many,” wrote the makers of the Wimbledon tournament to Federer.
In 2017 he beat Nadal in a memorable final at the Australian Open in Melbourne, where he also won the last of his 20 Grand Slam titles a year later. In 2019, after missing match points, he lost the Wimbledon final against Djokovic, who, like Nadal, replaced him as number one in the world. Nadal, who now has 22 Grand Slam titles, and Djokovic (21) also overtook the Swiss in this record list during Federer’s long compulsory break.
The fans admired Federer for his aesthetic game, which sometimes made even the most difficult shots look amazingly easy. In fact, there was a lot of strength and athleticism in his mostly offensive appearance on the pitch. “I was given a special talent to play tennis. And I made it to a level I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible,” Federer enthused.
The ball artist, who was sometimes heated when he was younger, grew with his sporting success into a world athlete. When dealing with the fans, he was always modest, patient and funny, and also speaks fluent English and French.
Federer traveled the world with his wife Mirka, a former professional player from the Czech Republic, the couple’s two pairs of twins and his companions – albeit in moderation. Early on, he limited his program to important tournaments to give his body breaks. Now it is finally over for Federer with the wandering life as a tennis pro.