"He was the epitome of a champion; class, grace, humility, beloved by everyone" - Chris Evert pays tribute to retiring Roger Federer

Chris Evert has lavished praise on Roger Federer, who announced his retirement from tennis on Thursday.

The Swiss' last match came in the quarterfinals of last year's Wimbledon, where he lost to Hubert Hurkacz. After being out of action for over a year, Roger Federer decided to call it quits on an amazing career that made him one of the greatest athletes ever.

Following the 20-time Major winner's announcement, Evert took to Twitter to pay tribute to him, calling him the epitome of a champion. The American also claimed that Federer elegantly mastered the sport like no other.

"He was the epitome of a champion; class, grace, humility, beloved by everyone…and he elegantly mastered the sport like no other…Good luck to you, @rogerfederer. don’t go too far," Evert wrote.

"It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world" - Rafael Nadal on Roger Federer's retirement

Rafael Nadal (C) sent a heartfelt to Roger Federer on his retirement

Roger Federer's greatest rival and friend, Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, had a heartfelt message for him after the latter announced his retirement. The Spaniard said that it was a sad day for himself and for world sport.

"Dear Roger,my friend and rival. I wish this day would have never come. It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world. It’s been a pleasure but also an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court," Nadal wrote on Twitter.

Newly crowned US Open champion and World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz also paid tribute to Federer on social media, calling the 41-year-old one of his idols and a source of inspiration.

"Roger has been one of my idols and a source of inspiration! Thank you for everything you have done for our sport! I still want to play with you! Wish you all the luck in the world for what comes next," the 19-year-old wrote on Instagram.

Federer and Nadal will team up at the Laver Cup as part of a star-studded Team Europe later this month. Joining them are Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Casper Ruud, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Their opponents from Team World will be Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman, Frances Tiafoe, Jack Sock, and Alex de Minaur.

Fans would love to see Federer perform for one last time at the O2 Arena in London. The Swiss has won each of his singles matches at the Laver Cup and it will be interesting to see how he fares this time around.

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