The Swiss legend has been the face of tennis for nearly two decades – despite sharing the limelight with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in recent years – and his absence from the court will no doubt be felt for years to come. When the 20-time Grand Slam champion announced he would bow out on Thursday, it went beyond tennis. His retirement was felt by millions, in and out of sports. After all, this is the man who was once voted the second most respected person in the world after Nelson Mandela. Tennis legend and 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer has announced his retirement. Whether or not he is honored as the greatest of all time, Federer will forever be considered a sporting icon. And his farewell will act, in many ways, as a canary in the mine for many other sports. Despite dominating the past 15 to 20 years, a handful of sporting icons will inevitably have to hang up their boots, gloves, clubs and rackets in the very near future – and as a result the sports world will have to adapt. Sportsmail has identified 10 iconic sports stars approaching the final chapters of their careers following Federer’s retirement from tennis… The 41-year-old star could well be the first of many sporting icons to retire in the coming years
Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese superstar has shared the football limelight with Lionel Messi for nearly two decades, having first joined Manchester United in 2003 from Sporting Lisbon. Five Ballon d’Or awards, 699 club goals and 24 major trophies later, Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever grace the football field. When it comes to influence off the pitch, it’s hard to think of anyone more prominent off the pitch in football history – the 37-year-old has amassed 477 million followers on Instagram alone. Cristiano Ronaldo won five Ballon d’Or awards before returning to Manchester United last year However, with the Manchester United star desperate to move away from Old Trafford this summer, Ronaldo will no doubt be looking to optimize the latter stages of his career, with the risk of an exit inevitably on the horizon. Despite his goalscoring talent, new Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag opted to bench the veteran in favor of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and new kid Antony in attack, suggesting he now lacks body – or maybe the temperament – to play in a high-octane system. Ronaldo’s farewell in the coming seasons will present football with one of the game’s most significant departures in history.
Lionel Messi
Ronaldo and Messi are next to each other on many illustrious lists and this one is no different. The Argentine record holder played football with astonishing brilliance throughout his career at Barcelona and PSG, scoring 688 club goals to win seven Ballon d’Or trophies and 24 major titles. Comparing the pair against each other has sparked extensive debate and controversy over the past 15 to 20 years, but as a collective, Messi and Ronaldo have been the kings of football for so long that it’s strange to consider the sport without them. Lionel Messi will be hoping to bring the Champions League trophy to Paris before he retires At 35, Messi continues to flourish in Paris with the French champions and will no doubt have his sights set on the elusive Champions League trophy. (At PSG of course – the former Barca star already has four to his name with the Spanish giants). While the forward obviously, and hopefully, has a few more years before he hangs up his boots, the football world has already started thinking about its next generation superstar. Whether it’s Manchester City’s in-the-know executioner Erling Haaland, Messi’s talented team-mate Kylian Mbappe or someone else entirely, football is gearing up to crown its new king.
LeBron James
Except for perhaps a few wacky supporters of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan was considered the undisputed greatest basketball player of all time until “King James” took a walk to Cleveland in 2003. Now, at least there is a conversation to be had. LeBron has dominated the NBA since entering the league nearly two decades ago, currently sitting second on the all-time scoring list behind Abdul-Jabbar, seventh in assists, 10th in steals and fourth in free throws. NBA star LeBron James is second behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list Even though the 37-year-old has endured two consecutive seasons of disappointment with the Lakers, getting blown out in the first round by Phoenix in 2020-21 and then missing the playoffs entirely last season, he’s still posting incredible individual numbers. . LeBron averaged over 30 points per game in Los Angeles last season — but he’ll be eager to turn that into franchise success as he prepares for one of his final NBA seasons.
Tom Brady
Despite announcing his retirement from the NFL in February, Brady made an impressive turnaround six weeks later to commit to his 23rd season. The 45-year-old quarterback is widely considered one of the best athletes to ever grace the sport, winning six Super Bowls since entering the NFL in the 2000 draft. Despite rejoining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the promise of “unfinished business” with the franchise, Brady’s days in the NFL are numbered and it’s just as likely he’ll be gone at the end of next season. Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL in February before turning around six weeks later However, still showing he has plenty left in the tank, Brady amassed a career-high 5,316 passing yards last campaign. He also holds the all-time records for passing yards and touchdowns, with 84,520 and 624 respectively.
Aaron Rodgers
While he may not have the same legendary status as Brady, Rodgers is an NFL icon in his own right and will retire among the greatest quarterbacks of all time. The four-time MVP winner, who has claimed the award the last two seasons, is in the top 10 all-time in passing yards and leads the league in touchdown-to-interception ratio. Aaron Rodgers is a four-time MVP winner having claimed the award the last two seasons But stats aside, the 38-year-old will be missed for the personality and character he brought to the NFL. In July, Rodgers arrived at Packers training camp dressed as Nicolas Cage’s character in Con Air, sending fans into a frenzy. The NFL will lose two iconic quarterbacks in Brady and Rodgers when the pair retire in the not-too-distant future. The 38-year-old arrived at Green Bay Packers training camp dressed as Nicolas Cage in July.
Tiger Woods
Despite making a fairytale comeback at St Andrews in July for the 150th Open, Woods is nearing the end of his impressive career after more than 25 years as a pro. The 15-time major winner shot nine over par in his first two rounds to miss the cut by one length, but cheered like a champion as he approached the 18th fairway. Woods’ heartfelt moment at St Andrews showed just how respected and celebrated the 46-year-old remains despite entering the final stages of his career. St Andrews cheered wildly as Tiger Woods made his fairytale return to The Open in July The injuries he sustained during a car accident in February 2021, while not life-threatening, were enough to cause any golfer to end his career. Instead, as true greats do, Woods fought back. Whether he bows out tomorrow, or continues to limp from hole to hole as he did at St Andrews, the American will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time. With 15 in his trophy case, Woods is second on the all-time majors hitting charts — behind Jack Nicklaus at 18 — and has won 82 official PGA Tour events, tied for the tree with Sam Snead.
Rafael Nadal
Serena Williams started the tennis retirement dominoes. Shortly after the record-breaking American bowed out at the US Open, Federer called it a day. Nadal, at least as far as the all-time greats go, is sure to be next. Having been dealing with Mueller-Weiss Syndrome, a rare and painful foot condition, the Spaniard has put off surgery for longer than medically advised, fearing the stabbing would spell the end of his career. Rafael Nadal suffered from a chronic foot condition called Mueller Weiss Syndrome However, despite his chronic injury, Nadal continues to display his Herculean talents on the tennis court, winning both the Australian Open and the French Open in 2022. No male tennis player in history can match the 36-year-old’s 22 Grand Slam points, although Djokovic remains one behind thanks to his Wimbledon triumph in July. Shortly after Federer announced his retirement, Nadal wrote a moving tribute to his “friend and rival”. He tweeted: “I wish this day had never come. It is a sad day for me personally and for sport around the world.’ No doubt the sport will have the same effect when Nadal calls time.
Lewis Hamilton
Perhaps the most iconic Formula 1 driver in history for his presence and influence both on and off the track, Hamilton will retire nothing short of a sporting legend. Tied with Michael Schumacher as the most decorated driver of all time, having won seven drivers’ championships since his first triumph in 2008, the 37-year-old has already etched his name firmly into the history books and will likely continue to change the landscape of F1. beyond retirement. As the sport’s first and only black driver, Hamilton has championed diversity and campaigned against racism in all sports, leading to his knighthood in the 2021 New Year’s Honors List. Lewis Hamilton considered retiring at the end of last season before returning to Mercedes Although the Mercedes star…
