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Roger Federer, unarguably one of the greatest athletes that tennis has ever witnessed, retired in September 2022. In doing so, the legend joined a host of other successful men’s tennis players who quit the sport this year.
Here’s a look at the notable names who called time on their careers in 2022, including Federer:
#10. Bruno Soares
Bruno Soares, a Brazilian doubles tennis player hailing from Belo Horizonte, climbed to World No. 2 in his doubles career and won 35 titles. He lifted three men’s doubles titles at the Australian Open in 2016 and the US Open in 2016 and 2020. In mixed doubles, he won the 2016 Australian Open and the US Open in 2012 and 2014.
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He retired after playing his final match alongside former doubles World No. 1 Jamie Murray at the 2022 US Open.
#9. Andreas Seppi
Andreas Seppi hung his racquet after a loss to Yannick Hanfmann at the Ortisei Challenger in his home country of Italy. The 38-year-old won three tour-level titles - one on each surface - and made it to a career-high of World No. 18.
Seppi’s retirement, however, was not a pleasant one. The Italian revealed that he was denied a wild card at the tournaments in Florence and Naples, where he would have liked to say his final goodbye.
“The Italian Tennis Federation did not allow me, saying that ‘Giving a Wild Card to a retiring player would have been a waste,’” he revealed.
#8. Philipp Kohlschreiber
During his time on the courts, Philipp Kohlschreiber was ranked as high as World No. 16 and lifted eight tour-level singles titles. At the 2012 Wimbledon championships, Kohlschreiber earned his best Grand Slam result with an appearance in the quarterfinals.
The German tennis player called time on his tennis career after failing to make the main draw of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. He went down in the second qualifying round against Mikhail Kukushkin, marking the final match of his career.
#7. Sam Querrey
Sam Querrey lifted 10 titles in his career and held a ranking of World No. 11. His best Grand Slam result came at Wimbledon in 2017, where he defeated the then World No. 1 and defending champion Andy Murray to reach the semifinals.
A year prior, the American snapped the-then World No. 1 Novak Djokovic’s four-straight Grand Slam winning streak to reach the quarterfinals at SW19 in 2016. He also reached two other quarterfinals in 2017 (the US Open) and 2019 (Wimbledon).
The American tennis player retired at the 2022 US Open after a first-round loss to Belarusian Ilya Ivashka.
"I came to terms with it. And it felt great," Querrey said.
#6. Kevin Anderson
Kevin Anderson reached as high as World No. 5 during his career. He collected seven titles and notably featured in two Grand Slam finals at the US Open in 2017 against Rafael Nadal and at Wimbledon in 2018 against Novak Djokovic.
During his 2018 Wimbledon run, Anderson famously staged the biggest comeback of his career by upsetting eight-time Wimbledon winner and defending champion Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, having been two sets down and facing a match point against him in the third set.
Anderson played his final competitive match at the 2022 Miami Open in March against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. The South African player announced his retirement from tennis a couple of months later, in May 2022.
“My Dad put a racquet in my hands and told me if I was willing to work hard, I could be one of the best players in the world,” he wrote in a social media post, adding, “Today I finally arrived at the difficult decision to retire from professional tennis.”
#5. Tommy Robredo
Tommy Robredo, who was once ranked World No. 5, is a recipient of a dozen career titles, including the 2006 Hamburg Masters. The 40-year-old also has a rich Grand Slam quarterfinals record, having made the stage on seven occasions – French Open (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013), Australian Open (2007) and US Open (2013).
The Spaniard's last dance came against countryman Bernabe Zapata Miralles in his hometown of Barcelona at the 2022 Barcelona Open.
“(Barcelona Open) was my first tournament as a professional when I was 16. I think there is no better way to end a career than doing it in your tennis club, with your friends, with your family and with all the people that [have] followed you," Robredo said.
#4. Gilles Simon
In his two-decade-long career, Gilles Simon reached a career-high ranking of World No. 6 and clinched 14 tour titles. He also featured in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2009 and Wimbledon in 2015.
Gilles Simon took leave from tennis in front of his home crowd at the 2022 Paris Masters. The Frenchman staged a commendable comeback in his final tournament, pulling off upsets over three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray and World No. 9 Taylor Fritz, before going down to World No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime.
“Thank you to the crowd for supporting me throughout the match, from the beginning. My wife is hiding in the stands. She should have been on the court. Thank you for everything. I know how difficult all this was for you. I am finishing with you, because otherwise it would have been too hard,” he said in his retirement speech.
#3. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lifted 18 career titles, with two of them being Masters 1000s in Paris and Toronto. Of his many career achievements, the former World No. 5 became one of the only three players (others being Stan Wawrinka and Tomas Berdych) to defeat each of the Big-4 – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray – at Grand Slams.
The Frenchman reached the semifinals at Wimbledon (2011, 2012) and at French Open (2013, 2015). He was also the runner-up at the 2008 Australian Open, losing in the final to Novak Djokovic.
Tsonga had his swansong at the 2022 French Open. The Frenchman didn’t go out without a fight against eventual French Open finalist Casper Ruud. He pushed the Norwegian to three tiebreaks, one of which he claimed in the opening set. The match concluded in favor of Ruud 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 6-2, 7-6(0).
"I finished on the court playing like I did throughout my career. It'll always be a good memory," Tsonga said during his retirement speech.
#2. Juan Martin del Potro
Juan Martin del Potro won as many as 22 career titles, including the 2018 Indian Wells Masters and a ground-breaking title win at the 2009 US Open, where he defeated five-time defending champion Roger Federer. He also made his second Grand Slam final at the 2018 US Open, where he fell short against Novak Djokovic. Del Potro, who held a career-high ranking of World No. 3, was a force to be reckoned with until his career was derailed by constant injury struggles.
Although del Potro did not officially announce his retirement, the 2009 US Open champion hinted that he might have played the final match of his career at the Argentina Open in February 2022. The 34-year-old, who returned to the competitive courts for the first time since 2019, put on a display in front of his home crowd as he played against his compatriot Federico Delbonis in the first round of the tournament.
"Today is a full stop but I am going to leave the window open for tennis because what I experienced tonight is unforgettable," del Potro said.
#1. Roger Federer
Roger Federer had an illustrious career, which saw him become the first man in the Open Era to claim 20 Grand Slam singles titles, including five at the US Open, eight at Wimbledon, one at the French Open and six at the Australian Open. He enthralled sports fans as he accumulated 1251 career match wins and a staggering 103 career titles.
Federer, the five-time year-end World No. 1, played his penultimate competitive match in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Wimbledon. The Swiss maestro received a fairytale farewell in 2022 at his brainchild tournament, the Laver Cup, alongside his biggest rivals Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Federer played his final match alongside Nadal in a doubles encounter against Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock at the O2 Arena in London.
“For me it was a special, special celebration of my career and that I was able to do it with my biggest rivals - not only just Rafa but also Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, for me it’s incredible really. It means everything to me,” Roger Federer remarked.
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