The legendary Roger Federer announced that the Laver Cup will be the last ATP event in which he will participate.To my tennis family and everyone else,of all the gifts tennis has given me over the years, without a doubt the greatest are the people I’ve met: my friends, my rivals and most of all the fans who give life to the sport. Today I want to share some news with you.
As many of you know, the last three years have been challenging due to injuries and surgeries. I’ve been working hard to get back into full competitive shape. But I know my body’s limitations and the messages it has been sending me lately are clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches during these 24 years. Tennis has been kind to me, more than I could have dreamed. I have to recognize that it is time to end my competitive career.
Next week’s Laver Cup in London will be my last ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but not on the Grand Slams or the ATP tour – Roger wrote.
This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything that the tour gave me. But at the same time, I have 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 could never have imagined and for much longer than I thought possible.
He emphasized the importance of his wife Mirka and their four children during his career. He gave credit to his parents and sister. And a special thank you was sent to all the coaches he worked with so far, the Swiss Tennis Association, sponsors and partners, as well as all the fans.
I would also like to thank my rivals on the field. I have been lucky enough to play so many epic matches that I will never forget. We competed fairly, with passion, and I always tried to give my best out of respect for the history of the game. I am really grateful. We pushed each other, and together we raised tennis to a new level – added Roger, who marked an era of tennis with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Federer turned professional in 1998. He won 103 titles in his career. He topped the list for the first time on February 2, 2004, and he held the title of the best player in the world for a total of 310 weeks. He earned $130,594,339 in tournament prize money.The last 24 years have been an incredible adventure. Even though sometimes it seems like 24 hours have gone by, it’s magical that it seems like I’ve already lived a lifetime. I have been lucky enough to play in front of you in more than 40 countries. I laughed, I cried, I was happy, I felt sad and above all I felt alive! I met amazing people, who will remain my friends for the rest of my life. Thank you.
When I fell in love with tennis, I was a ball collector in my hometown of Basel. I watched the players and admired them. They were like giants to me and I began to dream. My dreams made me work hard and I started to believe in myself. Some successes brought me confidence, and I have come an incredible way. Thank you to everyone around the world, who helped me make a young ball collector from Switzerland realize his dreams.
Finally, tennis, I love you and I will never leave you – concluded Roger.Federer has not played since Wimbledon in 2021 after undergoing a third knee operation and will now bid farewell at the Laver Cup in London, which runs from September 23-25.
In a truly remarkable career, Federer won six titles at the Australian Open, eight at Wimbledon, five at the US Open and one at Roland Garros.
He triumphed at the Final Masters six times, and won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games together with compatriot Stan Wawrinka in men’s doubles. With Switzerland, he triumphed in the Davis Cup in 2014.
