Last night marked the end of an era as tennis icon Roger Federer announced his retirement last night on social media.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has been suffering from injuries which have required various surgeries over the past three years and realised that at 41 years of age, and having played more than 1500 matches for over half of his life, it was time to hang up the racket.
“I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form, but I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and it’s 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 recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”
Federer mentioned that his final performance would be at the Laver Cup next week in London.
The world reacts
Fellow sporting icons around the world have offered heaps of praise and admiration for the contributions that Federer made to the sport of Tennis, including one of his top opponents Rafael Nadal.
One Twitter user commented:
“WIMBLEDON 2008… the greatest match of all time…”
Wimbledon 2008 Final
Roger Federer in the UAE
The Swiss tennis player has competed in the UAE on numerous occasions and has won the most singles titles at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a total of eight. Since his first appearance at the tournament in 2003 which he won, the star would go on to win another seven titles at the tournament over the years with his first three coming back-to-back.
Rafael Nadal woud be the one to break Federer’s three win streak in 2006 with his only title win at the tournament while Novak Djokovic would score his own three consecutive victories at the event but still falls behind Roger Federer’s record of eight wins.
Roger Federer also has a $16 million dollar penthouse apartment in the Dubai Marina where he would spend most of his off-season training in desert conditions. Maybe now he’s got a bit more time to stay in Dubai.