Laver Cup: Tennis ace Roger Federer confirms retirement after London ATP tournament in emotional farewell

One of the greatest tennis players of all time, Roger Federer, has confirmed he will retire after the upcoming ATP tournament, the Laver Cup, which is being held in London in September.

It was clearly a hard decision for the Swiss tennis star, as he said: "This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the tour has given me. But, at the same time, there is so much to celebrate.”

The 20-time Grand Slam champion has been struggling with a knee problem for the past three years, and has had multiple surgeries.

He confirmed his retirement from the game via a lengthy twitter post on September 15.

Roger Federer announces retirement

In the social media post, he said: “Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career.

The eight-time Wimbledon champion continued: “To my tennis family and beyond. Of all the gifts that tennis has given me over the years, the greatest, without a doubt, has been the people I’ve met along the way: my friends, my competitors, and most of all the fans who give the sport its life. Today, I want to share some news with all of you.

"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. I am 41 years old.

“I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career.”

Federer is now gearing up to play in the Laver Cup, his brandchild and the tennis equivalent of the Ryder Cup, before bowing out of the professional game for good.

When is the Laver Cup?

The 2022 Laver Cup will begin at 1pm on Friday, September 23 and ends on Sunday, September 25.

When he announced his decision, Federer referred to the competition, saying: "The 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."

What has Roger Federer won?

Federer is one of tennis’ most decorated players, and trails only Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in terms of Grand Slam wins.

He is the first men’s singles player to have reached ten consecutive Grand Slam tournament finals and a total of 31 Grand Slam finals.

Federer has won the ATP Player of the Year five times and has also been named the ITF World Champion five times.

He has won the ATP Fans’ Favourite award a record 18 times consecutively and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, which is voted for by his fellow players a record 13 times.

He has also won Wimbledon eight times, and has made the final of the competition 12 times in his long and trophy laden career.