Roger Federer of Switzerland waves to the group after victory in his Gents’s Singles Fourth Spherical fit towards Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain all the way through day seven of the Wimbledon Garden Tennis Championships on the All England Garden Tennis and Croquet Membership on July 6, 2015 in London, England.
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Tennis legend Roger Federer is retiring from the game after a 24-year profession. The Swiss participant made the announcement on Thursday in a letter posted to Twitter.
Federer mentioned the Laver Cup in London subsequent week can be his ultimate ATP match. He has confronted a couple of accidents and surgical procedures and mentioned he is aware of his “frame’s capacities and bounds.” He posted a recording of himself studying the letter.
“Tennis has handled me extra generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I should acknowledge when it’s time to finish my aggressive profession,” Federer learn. “I can play extra tennis, after all, however simply now not in Grand Slams or at the excursion.”
He holds the pro tennis report for probably the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 with 237, and the report for the oldest participant to rank No. 1, at 36, in 2018. The 41-year-old is a 20-time Grand Slam champion. He has performed greater than 1,500 fits all the way through which the ATP information that he served 11,478 aces.
“This can be a bittersweet resolution, as a result of I can omit the whole lot the excursion has given me,” Federer wrote. “However on the identical time, there’s such a lot to rejoice. I imagine myself some of the lucky other folks on Earth.”
Federer grew to become professional as a youngster and established storied rivalries towards fellow tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
He thanked his spouse Mirka, his folks, his sister and his industry workforce within the emotional letter. Federer recorded greater than $130 million in profession profits. His sponsors come with Wilson, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, Uniqlo, Moet Hennessey, and Credit score Suisse.
On the U.S. Open in overdue August, he referenced the potential for his retirement, pronouncing it was once “virtually time to retire — however now not but.” Afterwards, he walked that remark again as “a complete funny story,” in line with NBC Sports activities.
Federer didn’t say what he was once planning on doing after retiring from the excursion, however he concluded the letter, writing: “In any case, to the sport of tennis: I really like you and can by no means go away you.”