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Roger Federer announced Thursday that he is retiring from professional tennis at age 41 after winning 20 Grand Slam titles. This decision comes just days after the end of the U.S. Open, which is expected to be the last tournament of 23-time major champion Serena Williams’ career, and signals the real end of an era in tennis.
Federer has not competed since Wimbledon in July 2021 – he has had a series of knee operations – and so in that sense, the news is not surprising.
Roger Federer is retiring from professional tennis after a series of knee operations, closing a career in which he won 20 Grand Slam titles, finished five seasons ranked No. 1 and helped create a golden era of men’s tennis with rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Federer posted what he called a “bittersweet decision” via social media on Thursday, less than a week after 23-time major champion Serena Williams played what is expected to the last match of her career.
Combined, the exits by two of the greatest athletes in their sport’s history represent a significant turning of the page. “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,” Federer wrote on Twitter. “But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear.”
Federer has not competed since Wimbledon in July 2021, and so, in that sense, his news is not all that surprising. But he had appeared at an event marking the 100-year anniversary of Centre Court at the All England Club this July and said he hoped to come back to play there “one more time.” He also had said he would return to tournament action in his home country at the Swiss Indoors in October.
In Thursday’s announcement, Federer said his farewell event will be the Laver Cup in London next week. That is a team event run by his management company. Federer is married and he and his wife, Mirka – a tennis player, too; they met as athletes at an Olympics – have two sets of twins.
He leaves with a total of 103 tour-level titles on his substantial resume and 1,251 wins in singles matches, both second only to Jimmy Connors in the Open era, which began in 1968. Federer’s records include being the oldest No. 1 in ATP rankings history – he returned to the top spot at 36 in 2018 – and most consecutive weeks there (his total weeks mark was eclipsed by Djokovic).