Roger Federer announces his retirement, next week’s Laver Cup will be his final tournament

Tennis legend Roger Federer announced on social media Thursday that the Laver Cup, scheduled for next week in London, would be his final competitive tennis event. In an emotional video shared on social media, Federer stated that “[t]he Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in grand slams or on the tour.”

In the statement, Federer referenced the recent injuries that he has dealt with while trying to maintain his presence on the tour. “As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. 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.”

Reaction to Federer’s announcement poured in from throughout the tennis world.

Federer is not the only legend to step away from tennis this year. Serena Williams announced in early August that she would be retiring after the U.S. Open. Williams advanced to the third round of the event, before losing to Ajla Tomlajanovic. Although on Good Morning America this week, Williams hinted that more tennis could be in her future:

As for Federer, this announcement draws to a close a legendary career in the sport. He won his first singles title at Wimbledon in 2003, when he was 21, and that touched off a dominant stretch of play. From 2003 through 2009, he appeared in 21 out of 28 major singles finals.

Federer surpassed Pete Sampras’ record of 14 major men’s titles at Wimbledon in 2009.

Injuries started to mount for Federer, and he missed half a year in 2016 to recover from knee surgery. When he came back, however, it touched off another stretch of impressive play. He won three more majors, including the 2017 Australian Open when he beat Rafael Nadal in the final, and Wimbledon later that year.

When he won the 2018 Australian Open, he became the first man to win 20 major singles titles, and won a total of 103 events in his singles career, placing him second in the Open Era, behind only Jimmy Connors.

Now good luck getting tickets to the Laver Cup.