Roger Federer announces “bittersweet” retirement from tennis

end of an era. Roger Federer He announced his retirement from tennis after competing in the Laver Cup later this month.

“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and operations,” the 41-year-old wrote in a moving letter. shared via Instagram Thursday 15th September. “I worked hard to get back to a full competitive level. But I also know the capabilities and limitations of my body and lately its message has been clear to me. “

The 20-time Grand Slam winner continued: “I’m 41 years old. I’ve played over 1,500 games in 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever could have dreamed of and now I have to realize that the time has come. finish my racing career.

The Swiss international went on to say that his last event with the ATP Tour will be the Laver Cup, which kicks off in London on Friday 23 September. “I’ll play more tennis in the future, of course, but not just in the Grand Slams or the Tour,” he added. “It’s a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the Tour has given me. But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world. I was given a special talent for playing tennis, and I did it at a level I could never have imagined, for much longer than I thought possible. “

The Olympic gold medalist also thanked his wife, Mika Federer, and the couple’s four children to support them over the years. The two, who married in 2009, are fathers of two pairs of twins: Mila and Charlene, 13, and Leo and Lenny, 8.

The five-time US Open winner wrote, “Seeing my family cheering on me from the stands is a feeling I will cherish forever. “

Roger has one of the greatest competitive records in tennis history, but as mentioned the last few years of his career have been affected by a number of health problems. After undergoing two knee surgeries in 2020, he returned to tennis the following year but retired from the Australian Open and French Open as he recovered. He underwent another knee surgery in August 2021 and subsequently retired from the US Open.

The great tennis player’s decision to retire comes weeks later Serena WilliamsAnother sports giant has announced that he will be leaving professional tennis after the US Open concluded earlier this month.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist, 40, broke the news in the September cover story for Vogue magazineExplaining that she and her husband, Alexis OhanianThey plan to expand their family. The duo welcomed their daughter Olympia, 5, in October 2017.

“Trust me, I never wanted to choose between tennis and family,” Williams wrote in his post. “I don’t think it’s fair. If I were young, I wouldn’t write it because I would be out there playing and winning while my wife did the physical work to expand our family … I definitely wouldn’t. I want to get pregnant again as an athlete. I want to be in tennis on one or two feet ”.

–