The 20-time Grand Slam winner is setting down his racquet after greater than 20 years on court docket. Al Jazeera appears at his life in numbers.
Roger Federer, one of many world’s most embellished male tennis athletes, will play the final sport of his skilled profession on the Laver Cup in London on Friday.
The 41-year-old Swiss participant, famend for his swish one-handed backhand, started taking part in tennis on the age of eight, rising to turn out to be one in all tennis historical past’s best gamers. He has gained 103 ATP Tour titles, together with 20 Grand Slams.
In a press release shared on his social media on September 15, Federer mentioned, “I've performed greater than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has handled me extra generously than I ever would have dreamed, and now I need to recognise when it's time to finish my aggressive profession.”
Key dates of illustrious profession
- In 1995, aged 14, Federer was accepted by the nationwide improvement programme of Swiss Tennis.
- In 1998, he made his debut on the Swiss Open as a professional participant.
- In 2000, Federer competed on the Olympic Video games in Sydney, the place he reached the semi-finals and met his spouse Mirka Vavrinec.
- In 2003, he gained his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and in 2004 he gained the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. It was additionally in 2004 that Federer turned world primary in tennis – holding the place for 237 weeks till 2008.
- In 2006, Federer reached the ultimate of all 4 Grand Slams, successful three of them.
- In 2009, he captured his fifteenth Grand Slam, beating the earlier report held by Pete Sampras, from america. In the identical 12 months, he married Vavrinec and welcomed the beginning of twins.
- In 2018, Federer gained his twentieth Grand Slam title.
Federer in contrast with tennis greats
Although skilled on many surfaces, Federer is thought for being a tour de drive at Wimbledon, the one Grand Slam occasion performed on grass. He gained eight of his 20 Grand Slam titles there, surpassing Sampras’s report of seven.
In contrast with different male tennis gamers, Federer has the third most Grand Slam titles behind Spain’s Rafael Nadal, who holds 22, and Serbian Novak Djokovic with 21.
Federer has appeared in 31 Grand Slam finals, one behind Djokovic with 32. Federer’s final Grand Slam last was at Wimbledon in 2019, the place he narrowly misplaced to Djokovic in a five-set match that lasted just below 5 hours.
Federer has held the primary rating in males’s tennis for a complete of 310 weeks, behind Djokovic who has spent 373 weeks at primary. From 2004 to 2008, Federer held the primary rating for 237 consecutive weeks.
Of the gamers at the moment nonetheless on tour, Federer has gained essentially the most ATP Tour singles titles with 103 beneath his belt. Nadal has gained 92 and Djokovic 88.
Federer’s play in numbers
With a profession spanning greater than 1,500 video games, Federer has among the finest statistics in tennis historical past, together with:
- 11,478 aces
- 18,872 service video games
- 89 p.c of service video games gained
- 18,475 return video games performed
- 27 p.c of return video games gained
Basis
In 2003, the tennis famous person established the Roger Federer Basis with the goal of serving to youngsters dwelling in poverty in African nations to obtain an schooling.
In response to the muse, it has spent $70.5m on initiatives offering bodily and monetary help at 9,300 main faculties and preschools.
Response to retirement
Athletes from world wide heaped reward on Federer following the announcement of his retirement.
Rafael Nadal
“I want today would have by no means come. It’s a tragic day for me personally and for sports activities world wide. It’s been a pleasure but additionally an honour and privilege to share all these years with you, dwelling so many wonderful moments on and off the court docket.
“We can have many extra moments to share collectively sooner or later, there are nonetheless numerous issues to do collectively, we all know that. For now, I really want you all of the happiness together with your spouse, Mirka, your children, your loved ones and luxuriate in what’s forward of you.”
Expensive Roger,my buddy and rival.
I want today would have by no means come. It’s a tragic day for me personally and for sports activities world wide.
It’s been a pleasure but additionally an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, dwelling so many wonderful moments on and off the court docket 👇🏻— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) September 15, 2022
Novak Djokovic
“Roger it’s exhausting to see today and put into phrases all that we’ve shared on this sport collectively. Over a decade of unimaginable moments and battles to assume again on. Your profession has set the tone for what it means to realize excellence and lead with integrity and poise.
“It’s an honour to know you on and off court docket, and for a few years to come back. I do know that this new chapter will maintain wonderful issues for you, Mirka, the children, all of your family members, and Roger followers nonetheless have rather a lot to look ahead to.
“From our household to yours, we want you a lot pleasure, well being, and prosperity sooner or later.”
Serena Williams
“I wished to seek out the proper option to say this, as you so eloquently put this sport to relaxation – completely achieved, identical to your profession.
“I've at all times regarded as much as you and admired you. Our paths have been at all times so related, a lot the identical. You impressed numerous thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of individuals – together with me – and we'll always remember.
Carlos Alcaraz
“Roger has been one in all my idols and a supply of inspiration! Thanks for the whole lot you will have achieved for our sport! I nonetheless need to play with you! Want you all of the luck on the earth for what comes subsequent!”
Iga Swiatek
“I simply need to thanks for the whole lot you’ve achieved and the whole lot you're for our sport. It’s been a privilege to witness your profession. I want you all the perfect.”
Sachin Tendulkar
“What a profession, Roger Federer. We fell in love together with your model of tennis. Slowly, your tennis turned a behavior. And habits by no means retire, they turn out to be part of us. Thanks for all of the great reminiscences.”
Hardik Pandya
“Congratulations on an excellent profession.”
Congratulations on an excellent profession 🙌 #RogerFedererpic.twitter.com/mG8bHZQwqA
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) September 15, 2022
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