Goodbye Roger 👋
09/16/2022
By: Jeff Yoder
Roger Federer Announces Retirement from Competitive Tennis, Follows in Serena Williams’ Footsteps
Not even two weeks after Serena Williams retired following her third-round defeat at the US Open, another tennis icon is calling it quits. Roger Federer announced on Thursday that he will officially retire after the Laver Cup next weekend. Given his age (41) and the number of knee injuries he’s been dealing with throughout the back half of his career, it was only a matter of time before this announcement came.
An Endless Amount of Accomplishments
Federer’s announcement caps off one of the greatest tennis careers of all time. In his 24 years as a professional, he’s won 20 Grand Slam championships, which is the third most in men’s tennis history. His 1,251 victories in singles matches is good for the second most in the Open era. Finally, his streak of 237 consecutive weeks (over four years) as the top-ranked player in the world is the longest of all time. What’s even more impressive is that he accomplished most of this while competing against Novak Djokovoic and Rafael Nadal, creating the most competitive era of men’s tennis history. With the first of the ‘Big Three’ hanging it up, it will be extremely bittersweet watching one of the greatest to ever play the sport compete for the last time.
Watch:Â Roger Federer Career Highlights
Additional Storylines
SI:Â Roger Federer Leaves Behind Distinct, Beautiful Mark on Tennis
Guardian: ‘A Champion’s Champion’: Nadal and Other Tennis Stars React to Roger Federer Retirement
Photo: Mohammad Farag / Getty Images