Roger Federer announces his retirement from the ATP Tour and grand slams
The legendary Swiss tennis maestro is stepping away from the game after 35 years, making him the longest-tenured man in male tennis history
The ATP announced on Monday that Swiss legend Roger Federer has announced his retirement from professional tennis.
“It’s been a great journey for me and I think I’ve had a great career,” Federer told the AP in a video posted online. “At some point, it’s going to be nice to move on from all this.”
Federer’s career was interrupted by knee surgery in the summer of 2017 and an eye injury that forced him to miss part of the 2017 ATP Finals. In July, he was forced to withdraw from the Indian Wells Masters, which he had won seven times and reached two Grand Slam finals. Federer ended his 2017 season at Wimbledon, falling to fellow Swiss Roger Federer in the semi-finals.
Federer played one singles and one doubles Grand Slam singles and doubles title during his career. He won Wimbledon in 1978 and was the first person to win three titles in the same year. He joined Margaret Court as the only women to win the Australian Open and then three Grand Slams in one tournament.
Federer’s father, Paul, and brother, Thomas, were involved in the foundation that bears their name.
“To be able to give back to my family was an important motivation for me,” Federer said in the video, which was posted on social media. “The reason I’m playing now is to give back.”
Federer came close to joining the coaching staff of Roger Federer in the early 2000s. He coached young Rafael Nadal while Federer served as chairman for the Professional Tennis Association and the International Tennis Federation.
“It felt nice to be involved in the development of a tennis player,” Federer said in the video. “But at the same time, I have too much to do [to spend] too much time talking about the game and what went wrong.”
Federer’s retirement announcement coincides with his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, which is scheduled for July. The ceremony will take place during