Few names in any sport — heck, in any profession at all — can hold a candle to Roger Federer's career numbers: LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Wayne Gretzky, and Tom Brady spring to mind, breathing the same rarified air of excellence while making it all look easy.
Now, Federer has decided to hang up his racquet for good, announcing his retirement at age 41.
If you ever checked in on a tournament in the past 20 years, chances are you've seen the Swiss sensation's name at or near the top of the podium.
Federer won his first Grand Slam title at 21, and since then he has racked up a total of 103 ATP titles in his career, with 20 Grand Slam titles. He was the top-ranked player in the world for 310 weeks, including a record 237 weeks (that's more than four-and-a-half years in a row, for those keeping score at home).
In a note posted on Federer's social media accounts, he noted the toll that injuries were taking on his body.
"As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries," he wrote. "I've worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body's capacities, and limits and its message to me lately have been clear."
"I am 41 years old," he wrote. "I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career."
He had previously indicated that he wanted to keep playing a while longer, telling the crowd at Wimbledon earlier in the year that he hoped to be "back one more time."
"This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the tour has given me," he wrote in his farewell post. "But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on Earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible."
