Roger Federer retirement has taken the tennis world by surprise. It was known that it would happen at some point, but the news is still shocking. Federer is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and his retirement will leave a big hole in the sport. Fans will miss watching him compete, but he leaves behind a legacy that will inspire future generations of tennis players.
Roger Federer to play a “special” final match with Rafael Nadal on Friday
The Swiss leaves tennis after a 24-year professional career, 1,500 matches, and marked rivalries with Rafael Nadal.
His body can no longer withstand the high demands of the game.
“My body has limits.” He said the 41-year-old Swiss when announcing his retirement from professional tennis.
During the last three years, Federer has faced several physical problems that have only gotten worse.
It was in 2016 when the first knee problems appeared, which forced him to retire for six months. He recovered in the best possible way and came back with everything to have a dream in 2017.
Unfortunately, the pain resurfaced in early 2020, when he reached the semifinals at the Australian Open.
After the legendary game against Novak Djokovic, things worsened, and Federer had to take a break from his career of over a year. He underwent three knee arthroscopies, and his career hung in the balance. He managed to come back to Doha in March 2021, but his level was never the same.
Federer’s Legacy
With a career in which he has played over 1,500 matches, Federer has accumulated a legacy of records and great triumphs.
He has won 1,251 games, 103 titles, 20 Grand Slams, 310 weeks as number one, 237 consecutively, an Olympic gold medal in doubles and a silver in singles are some of his achievements.
Federer is the only player in history to reach ten consecutive Grand Slam finals, a feat he achieved between Wimbledon 2005 and Australia 2008. He is also the only player to reach 23 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals and 36 consecutive quarterfinals. He is the tennis player with the most Grand Slam matches played, with 429, and the most wins, 369.
As if that were not enough, Federer is the only one who has won 24 consecutive tournament finals, the one with the most wins on cement in a row, with 56, and the only one who has been able to win seven different tournaments six or more times.
No one in history has won more titles on grass and cement than him, and no one has managed to win his first seven Grand Slam finals either.
Friendship and rivalry with Rafa Nadal
Federer faced many rivals throughout his career, but Rafa Nadal became his fiercest rival and friend. Together they forged the history of modern tennis and established a hegemony that lasted for years.
Upon hearing the news of his retirement, Nadal posted a tweet to say goodbye to Roger Federer. “Dear Roger, my friend, and rival.
I wish this day would have never come. It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world.
It’s been a pleasure but also an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many unforgettable moments on and off the court.”
Both tennis players faced each other 40 times in most cases in the final instances of the tournaments.
The Last Tournament
The fifth edition of the Laver Cup, held from September 23-25 at the O2 in London, will be Roger Federer’s last professional tournament.
As the tournament organizer and with the help of his representative Tony Godsick, Federer managed to summon the best players of recent times to give one last goodbye to his career.
In this way, he personally convinced Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray to be in the tournament. The ‘Big Four’ for the first and last time together.
After knowing how emblematic this tournament will be, the tickets have skyrocketed in price to £15,000.
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