Roger Federer Retires From Tennis: Laver Cup Tournament Will Be His Last

A few weeks after Serena Williams played her last tennis match to move away from the sport, Roger Federer on Thursday announced he is also retiring.

In a video posted on his social media, Federer, who has won 20 Grand Slam titles, said, ” Many of you know the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries.”

He continued: “I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and limits and its message to me lately has been clear. I’m 41-years-old. I’ve played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. It has treated me more generously than I’ve ever dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”

Federer announced his last games will be played in London next week at the Laver Cup tennis tournament. It’s an ATP match between Team Europe and Team World that takes place from Sept. 23-25 and air on The Tennis Channel in the U.S. Federer will be playing on Team Europe alongside Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

He began his career playing juniors in 1996 and won both the singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon in 1998. He played his first ATP match that year.

He won his first Grand Slam title in 2003 at Wimbledon, and that began his dominance in the world of men’s tennis. Hailed the Greatest of All Time, Federer has won over 103 ATP single titles, with grass being his stronger surface. He won 65 straight wins on grass from 2003-2008.

In his video, Federer didn’t rule out playing the sport again, “I will play more tennis in the future, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour.” He added, “This is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the tour has given me.” He went on to say, “I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined for much longer than I ever thought possible.”

Watch the video below.

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