Roger Federer has confirmed he will retire from professional tennis after appearing at next week’s Laver Cup event in London.
The 41-year-old has enjoyed a hugely successful career, winning 20 Grand Slam titles, but the last three years have been littered with injuries.
He hasn’t featured at a single Grand Slam event this season with his last appearance at a major coming in 2021 when he suffered a quarter-final defeat to Hubert Hurkacz.
Federer underwent knee surgery for the third time after that outing at the All England Club and hasn’t played competitively since.
Tennis fans will have one further chance to see him in action when the Laver Cup takes place at London’s O2 Arena next week.
Federer said in a statement: “My body’s message to me lately has been clear. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career.
“To the game of tennis, I love you and will never leave you.”
Only Rafael Nadal, who has won 22, and Novak Djokovic, with 21, have lifted more men’s Grand Slam titles than Federer.
He made his professional debut aged just 16 in 1998 and won his first Grand Slam crown at Wimbledon in 2003.
The Swiss star holds the men’s record for titles at SW19, winning the grass showpiece on eight occasions, while he has won the Australian Open six times, the US Open five times and triumphed once in the French Open.
He spent 310 weeks as the number one-ranked men’s player throughout his career – a record that was only surpassed by Djokovic in 2021.
Federer also enjoyed success for his country when winning gold in the doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and he picked up a silver medal in the singles at the London 2012 Games.
