Roger Federer has announced he will retire from the ATP Tour and the Grand Slams after next week’s Laver Cup in London.   

  “I am 41 years old.  I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years.  “Tennis has been more generous to me than I could have ever dreamed of and now I have to recognize when it’s time to end my competitive career,” the 20-time grand slam winner said in an Instagram post.   

  The final years of Federer’s career have been marred by a string of injuries, with him undergoing two knee surgeries in 2020 and another after losing to Hubert Hurkas in the 2021 Wimbledon quarter-finals.   

  “As many of you know, the past three years have brought me challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries,” he said.  “I have been working hard to get back to full match fitness.  But I also know my body’s capabilities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear.”

Roger Federer talks retirement planning

  Federer’s long career coincided with that of 22 grand slam winner Rafael Nadal and 21 grand slam winner Novak Djokovic, with whom he dominated men’s tennis for the past two decades.   

  “I would also like to thank my competitors on the court,” Federer said.   

  “I’ve been lucky enough to play so many epic matches that I’ll never forget.  We fought fairly, with passion and intensity, and I always tried to respect the history of the game.  I feel extremely grateful.”

Roger… 💔 — Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) September 15, 2022 Despite playing alongside two of the greatest players of all time, Federer has broken many records, including becoming the world’s oldest No. 1 at the age of 36 and remaining at the top of the rankings for a record 237 consecutive times weeks.

  Among his many accolades, Federer won a career grand slam: the Australian Open six times, the French Open once, the US Open five times and Wimbledon – the tournament he was synonymous with – a record eight times.   

  “This is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the tour has given me,” he said.  “But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate.  I consider myself one of the luckiest people on Earth.  I was given a special talent to play tennis and I did it at a level I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible.”   

  More to come…