Tennis icon Roger Federer to retire from the sport next week — here’s a look at his journey so far

One of the world’s greatest tennis players, Roger Federer, announced on Thursday

that next week’s Laver Cup in London will be his last match.

Why did he choose to retire?

“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. I am 41 years old,” Federer said in his retirement message posted on his social media.

His career

The 41-year-old had a career spanning more than two decades and has won several titles and is said to have redefined the sport with his exceptional skills.

The Swiss player has proved his dominance on court with 20 Grand Slam titles

and 103 career Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) titles.

No. 1 player

He was ranked world No. 1 by ATP and had held the top spot for 310 weeks, including a record for 237 consecutive weeks.

First title

Federer won his first major singles title at Wimbledon in 2003 at age of 21. He won 21 out of 28 major singles finals between 2003 and 2009.

At age 27, he surpassed Pete Sampras' record of 14 major men's singles titles at Wimbledon in 2009.

Setback in 2016

Federer had a severe knee injury and he took a hiatus of over one and a half years. He made a stellar comeback by winning three more titles — 2017, 2018 Australian Open, 2017 Wimbledon Championship — over the next two years.

Highest paid sportsman

He was one of the top ten highest-paid athletes across sports. In 2020, his endorsement income stood at $100 million.

Sportsman and philanthropist

A lesser known fact about him is that he is also an active philanthropist. He also established the Roger Federer Foundation children in South Africa and has raised funds in part through the Match for Africa exhibition series.