Tennis great Roger Federer announces retirement

Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer has announced his retirement from professional tennis, ESPN reports Thursday.

Federer, who has been a dominant force in the sport for the last two decades, has been battling a number of injuries and surgeries. In an audio clip posted to social media, the tennis star said he has "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." Federer said he intends to keep playing tennis, just "not in Grand Slams or on the tour."

The announcement was met with an outpouring of admiration and support from Federer's fans and colleagues, including tennis great Billie Jean King, who described him, "a champion's champion."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Next week's Laver Cup in London will be the 41-year-old's last appearance competitively, The New York Times reports. He will play alongside fellow tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

"Finally, to the game of tennis," Federer said in a written statement also released on Twitter: "I love you and will never leave you."

Explore More
Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.