Roger Federer is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time and will certainly go down in the history books as such.
His illustrious career has seen him win 20 Grand Slam titles, competing in the golden age of tennis and being a dominant force at the pinnacle of the game, winning eight times at Wimbledon.
That included five in a row from 2003 to 2007, with his last Grand Slam win coming in 2018, 15 years after his first, showing his remarkable longevity in the sport.
Roger Federer’s last match
The Swiss master racket man will play his final professional game at The Laver Cup in London, the final ATP event we will see the great man in.
In a lengthy statement, Federer said: 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.â€
It’s incredibly hard to imagine a tennis world without Roger Federer, despite injuries, he’s just carried on and on, even competing at the grand old age of 41, but it really is to be the end.
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 05: Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates victory with the trophy after the men's singles final match against Andy Roddick of USA on Day Thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 5, 2009 in London, England. Federer won 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
Statement: Read the emotive letter Roger Federer has penned to his fans
The Golden Age of tennis
We had a four way battle at the top of the rankings for what seemed an eternity with Federer going head-to-head on the courts with Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
However, injury saw the Scot fall away quicker than the rest, with Federer now retiring, that’s only half of the dominant quad remaining, it really is a sad day for tennis.
In the women’s game we have seen the iconic Serena Williams retire this year too, it really is a changing of the guard in the game we love so much.
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New era for tennis
Carlos Alcaraz recently shot to number one in the world whilst still a teenager with his momentous victory at the US Open, signalling that the younger generation are here to take over.
Djokovic and Nadal have been winning majors still in recent years, but injuries and political standpoints are seeing them compete less, so it’s only a matter of time before we are looking back on this era with nostalgia.
Roger Federer’s emotional farewell message is a real tearjerker for those that truly love the game, dominating his sport and living a perfect life with no controversies in the tabloids, Federer really is one of a kind, the GOAT of tennis.