World of sport reacts to Roger Federer’s retirement
Roger Federer says he can no longer compete at the top level as he prepares to retire from tennis.
The Swiss star made the announcement at the end of a press conference at his home in Zurich on Friday morning.
‘It’s the time to end this chapter. I love tennis, love the game, and I know I’ve given a lot to it over almost a decade,’ Federer said.
Federer, 31, has won 21 Grand Slam titles, the ATP’s most by far, but he has slipped behind Rafael Nadal as the world’s best in the past 17 years.
Federer now plans to become a tennis coach to develop youngsters, and said: ‘I definitely hope to come back at some point.’
Nadal was out of action for the rest of the season, meaning that Federer will be the prohibitive No1 in the world with the best chance of winning three of the next four Grand Slam tournaments.
The Swiss star said he needed to consider ‘what is the best thing for my game in terms of winning the biggest events, whether that be the Australian Open or the French Open.
Federer said: ‘I am going to be very honest with myself, and I can say it with a lot of confidence, that I will never reach the level of Rafael Nadal.’
Federer is already the eighth-ranked active player, but is at number seven on the ATP rankings.
He would have been in a good position to challenge for a No1 ranking if he had started his season by winning the Australian Open, as he would have been assured of starting the season at the top of the rankings.
The world number 8 said that, as he has struggled with injuries, he had to turn to himself to determine whether he wanted to continue competing, and that meant making a decision that required him to weigh up whether he was happy with his current place in the world rankings.
Federer said: ‘I am not trying to find a scapegoat. I’ve played for almost 10 years now, and I’ve been good at tennis for a