The World of Tennis to Change Forever – Roger Federer Announces Retirement

It seems like the world of tennis is crumbling as we speak. Recently we all saw Serena Williams give a heartwarming speech in an interview after finishing what happened to be her last game. She announced her retirement early last month and was seen overwhelmed with emotions as she finished her final playoff.

And just a few days down, the Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer announced that The Laver Cup, scheduled to be held in London next week, will be his final ATP event. Federer posted a detailed letter addressing his family, friends, team members, opponents, and most of all, his fans – giving them credit for all the love and success he received as a player.

Roger Federer Announces His Retirement

A statement that he published across all his social media handles, both as a letter and an audio version, has been doing rounds. He started by talking about how tennis gave him the people he holds most dear today. He followed up with how the last few years have been especially difficult for him, as he suffered many injuries and surgeries.

He explained how being in and out of hospital can take a toll on anyone, but he still wanted to write about his iconic competitive form, which has made him the GOAT. However, self-awareness is important, especially when it comes to your bodily autonomy. You cannot ignore what your body is trying to tell you, and Federer couldn’t have done so either.

Therefore, he was humble, clear, and concise in putting it straight-forwardly out there that his body has been telling me for quite some time now that he can’t strain it any further. He added that tennis as a sport had given him more than he had ever expected, so he also knows that now may be the perfect time to bring it to closing.

He followed this up by thanking everyone in his life, from his wife and kids to his team members and colleagues. He also thanked his opponents for the completion they brought for him, which he found both challenging and enjoyable. Lastly, he mentioned heartfelt lines for his fans before ending the letter with:

“Finally, to the game of tennis: I love you and will never leave you.”

Netizens React to Federer’s Statement

Naturally, the whole internet was overwhelmed by Federer’s retirement announcement but not disappointed, upset, or surprised. Federer has given his heart and soul to the game of tennis and is a public favorite across the board. Be it regular people, avid tennis fans, or celebrities around the world – Federer is a global icon for them, almost an image of tennis itself.

So people were all extremely supportive and came together to encourage his stance. ESPN shared a tweet saying, “The game will miss these two♥,” with an image of Serena Williams and Roger Federer. Many celebrity actors and other fellow sports people shared their words of encouragement and well wishes for Federer. 

What’s more for the Future of Tennis?

Although it seems that tennis would never be the same without Serena and Roger, one should not lose hope. After all, the world has seen them compete forever now, ever since they were young players. So naturally, they have inspired a whole generation after them to pursue tennis professionally.

Moreover, the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are strongly in favor of tennis. They are both amazing players and well on their way to creating a similar legacy in the tennis world as their counters. The audience can stay tuned to see how they perform and what’s more there is in the tennis world in the future.