Roger Federer, the racket-throwing Swiss teenager who matured into one of the world’s most polished athletes and was part of a generation that dominated tennis for two decades, announced Thursday that he would retire from competition.
“I am 41 years old; I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years,” Federer said in an audio clip posted on social media. “Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamed, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”
Federer leaves the game with one of the greatest competitive records in its history: 103 tour singles titles, 20 Grand Slam singles titles, 310 weeks ranked No.