Tribute to the legendary Roger Federer

For several years, tennis fans across the globe knew that Roger Federer's retirement was imminent. Every year, people speculated that the great champion would retire one season or the next.

On Thursday, the Swiss maestro, who has been struggling with knee injuries for the last two and a half years, announced that he will retire from tennis after the Laver Cup next week in London.

“This is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the Tour has given me. But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate,” wrote Federer in his retirement letter.

Although fans knew the former World No.1 would call it quits soon, the news was hard to grapple with, and for many it was devastating. Since the 41-year-old hinted a few months ago that he would like to return to competitive tennis, many believed they would get a chance to witness his greatness one more time.

Roger Federer pictured at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.

Over the last 24 years, tennis has become synonymous with his effortless stroke-making, poetry-like-motion movement, and charming personality. Although the 20-time Grand Slam champion has hardly competed on the tour over the last two years, it will be hard to imagine a draw without his name.

After hearing the news, Paul Annacone, one of his former coaches, said on Thursday:

“I’ve always felt he was Picasso with a tennis racket. What I will miss most is the beauty he brought to the game we all love.”

---

The rise of Roger Federer

Roger Federer in action at the 2001 Wimbledon Championships.

From a hot-headed racquet-smashing youngster, Roger Federer transformed himself into an incredibly composed, gentlemanly, revered sportsman, a player who transcended the boundaries of the sport. A once-in-a-century kind of player whose mere presence made the crowds around the world swoon in excitement.

He made his mark on the big stage after defeating his childhood idol and then World No.1 Pete Sampras in the fourth round of the 2001 Wimbledon Championships. Two years later, he clinched his first Grand Slam title at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, in what led to the beginning of his love affair with the tournament, where he would go on to win a record eight times.

The 2004 season was a watershed in the Swiss Maestro’s career. He won three Grand Slam titles that season and finished the year as the World No.1 for the first time in his career. From 2004 to 2007, he dominated the tennis arena like no player ever has.

During those four years, Federer lifted 11 Grand Slam titles, reached the final four of all Grand Slam tournaments except one, and finished each season as the World No. 1, amassing a whopping 42 titles out of his 103 career titles.

Eventually, in 2009, he claimed the elusive French Open after being denied the title for several years because of his arch-rival Rafael Nadal’s supreme dominance on clay. Four weeks later, he broke Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam titles to establish himself as the greatest player of all time.

The Championships - Wimbledon 2009 Day Thirteen

While Nadal and Djokovic have dominated the last decade, Federer continued to maintain his lead as the leader of the men’s Grand Slam board. When Federer called off his 2016 season midway due to injury, many believed it was the end of the road for the great champion.

---

2017 to 2019: Renaissance years

However, he made a comeback in 2017, and what a stunning comeback it was. He defeated Nadal to claim the Australian Open and then won the Wimbledon Championships that year. The following year, he lifted his 20th Grand Slam title, the last Grand Slam trophy of his remarkable career.

Well, he had an opportunity to make it 21. Despite having two championship points on his serve at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, Federer failed to convert both chances and Djokovic eventually defeated him in the fifth-set tiebreak to win the title.

Since the 2019 season, the 20-time Grand Slam champion has played a handful of matches. His woes with a knee injury began in February 2020, post which he has undergone three knee surgeries.

In a week, the 41-year-old will officially retire from the game at the Laver Cup, which will be his final ATP tournament.

“Finally, to the game of tennis: I love you and will never leave you”, he wrote, concluding his farewell note and hinting that he will continue to play at exhibition events.

With both Serena Williams and Federer retiring in the same month, tennis has undergone a generational shift in its ranks. The famous Big-3, of which Federer was the founding member, will now become Big-2, with Nadal and Djokovic having raced ahead of Federer’s tally of 20 Grand Slams.

While the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate will continue to rage on, the Swiss maestro's elegance, trademark one-hand backhand, balletic grace, humility, and stardom will remain unmatched for generations to come.

Thank you, Roger - for making us smile, cry, anxious, ecstatic, excited, and now overly emotional. Thank you for making an immeasurable impact on this beautiful game. It is indeed the end of an era.