Tennis legend Roger Federer finally made the awaited announcement on September 15, Thursday, that he will be retiring from the sport after Laver Cup 2022, which will be held on September 23, 24 and 25 in London.
Federer, the first men’s player to win 20 grand slam titles, announced his decision with a post on his Twitter handle.
The Swiss tennis star won his first grand slam in the year 2003 when he won the Wimbledon title. Since then he’s won 6 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 8 Wimbledon and 5 US Open titles. The 41-year-old has been struggling with a knee injury for a long time, and has been out of action since a quarter-final loss at Wimbledon in 2021.
Federer is at the third position in terms of the total number of grand slam titles – behind Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
In his Twitter post, Federer wrote: “As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I have 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 am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt and now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career.
“The Laver Cup next week will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future of course but just not in grand slams or on the tour.”
Jasprit Bumrah’s heartfelt tweet for Roger Federer
As soon as Roger Federer put his decision out, innumerable wishes started to pour in from all corners with fans and athletes and celebrities from all range of fields giving their tributes to one of the most celebrated, adored and successful individual sportspersons.
One special homage came from Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah, who has returned to Team India’s setup after recovering from a back injury that see him miss the Asia Cup, hailed Federer as amongst the “greatest athletes to ever grace the sport” and “a sporting icon across the globe,” thanking the Swiss for the moments he’s given him to cherish.
Here, check out Jasprit Bumrah’s tweet:
One of the greatest athletes to ever grace the sport. An honour to watch you play, a sporting icon across the globe. Thank you, Roger. https://t.co/YvCgV3pFju
— Jasprit Bumrah (@Jaspritbumrah93) September 15, 2022
Meanwhile, Bumrah will return to action in the upcoming T20I series against Australia, followed by T20I series against South Africa before flying out to Australia for the T20 World Cup. Bumrah had not played a competitive game since the England tour; India had missed Bumrah’s death overs services in the Asia Cup, where they failed to reach the final.
