After 24 Years, Tennis Legend, Roger Federer Retires

Roger Federer, the elegant Swiss star who dominated men’s tennis for two decades but saw his more recent years marred by injuries and surgeries, said Thursday that he was retiring from the sport.

Federer, winner 20 Grand Slam singles titles, added that a spate of injuries have taken their toll on his competitiveness.

He will be fully retiring after competitive games next week.

“I am 41 years old, I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years,” Federer said in an audio clip posted on social media.

“Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamed and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”

Federer, the winner of 20 Grand Slam singles titles, said his appearance at next week’s Laver Cup in London would be his final competitive match.

He added that he would continue to play tennis in the future, but that he would no longer compete on the ATP Tour or in Grand Slam championships like Wimbledon and the U.S. Open that he once dominated.

“The past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries,” he said in a video on Twitter.

“I’ve 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 leaves the game with one of the greatest competitive records in the game’s history: 103 ATP singles titles, 20 Grand Slam championships, a record eight men’s singles titles at Wimbledon and a record-tying five at the U.S. Open.

His decision to step away from the game comes after a similar one by Serena Williams, who announced before this year’s U.S. Open that she would do the same.