After 24 years of career, Roger Federer retired in September of this year due to the precarious state of his right knee. The Swiss player tried by all means to return to the circuit, but his body sent clear signals and the Genius had to accept reality.
The former world number 1 had attempted a timid comeback last year, playing only 13 official matches and stopping again after Wimbledon. Through a letter posted to Instagram on September 15, the 20-time Slam champion announced his decision to retire.
The Basel maestro played the final match of his career alongside arch-rival Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup, the exhibition he founded in 2017. Roger was given a lavish tribute at the end of the match, which served as a testament to the enormous impact he has had in sports for the past two decades.
During an event organized by Uniqlo in Tokyo, Federer expressed his desire to organize some exhibitions in the future. “I would love to go play places I’ve never been and thank the fans who have supported me throughout my career.
However, my knee is still not in perfect condition and I have to be patient,” Federer confided. “At the moment, I am a bit reluctant to play other sports. The doctors have advised me to be prudent and wait a few months to see how the situation evolves.
I would also like to take my children to Africa. In the past, vacations were always thought of as relaxing after many months of playing tennis. Now that I have retired, we can also organize vacations that are a little more adventurous,” added the Master.
Lapentti pays tribute to Federer
Roger Federer’s game was among the most difficult to break as he barely had any weaknesses in his tennis arsenal, former World No. 6 Nicolas Lapentti opined. “He was that kind of a player where you would play a good shot and a better shot would come back.
It was very difficult to find a weak spot,” Nicolas Lapentti said on a recent episode of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast. “Roger was awesome in all aspects,” Lapentti further said. “He was great on the court, he was great off the court, he was unbelievable in the locker room, he used to hang out and be funny and do jokes.
He loved soccer so we talked about soccer. He was all class. Of course, what he did to the tennis world was so amazing. I think no one will ever match what he did,” he expressed.
