Swiss ace calls time

WASHINGTON: Roger Federer, regarded by many as the greatest male player to wield a tennis racket and who took the sport to new levels during a career spanning more than two decades, will retire after next week’s Laver Cup in London.

The 41-year-old, who won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and re-defined the sport with his artistry and grace, broke the news, which the tennis fans across the world have long feared, in a lengthy statement on Thursday.

A knee injury meant he has not played a match since losing at last year’s Wimbledon, but many still hoped that he could come back for one golden farewell. However, he said that age had finally caught up with him.

“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries,” Federer said in an 845-word statement posted on social media.

“I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and limiits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. “I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it’s time to end my competitive career. The Laver Cup next week in London 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.”

The likely end of Serena Williams’s tennis career following her emotional US Open exit earlier this month and Federer’s announcement leave the sport staring at the beginning of the end of the its golden era.

Federer, who dominated men’s tennis for several years after winning his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003 and who forged thrilling rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, has been troubled by injuries in recent years.

He has undergone three knee operations in the last two years and his last competitive match was a quarter-final defeat against Hubert Hurkacz at the 2021 Wimbledon. Federer had offered some hope to his legion of fans when he said that he planned to return to the tour after teaming up with long-time rival and friend Nadal to play doubles at the Laver Cup.

He had also planned to play at the Swiss indoors tournament at home in Basel. But, he will sign off in London, the city where his unique ability to strike a ball first captivated the tennis world and beyond.

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