Tennis great Roger Federer has announced that he will retire from official competition at the age of 41 following the Laver Cup next week in London.
The Swiss tennis legend has endured a difficult few years, having been out of action since Wimbledon in 2021 after going through triple knee surgery during his time off.
It has been a tough road back to fitness, and with Federer getting no younger, he has decided to call it a day - announcing the news in an emotional statement.
The 41-year-old said in his statement to his fans: "To my tennis family and beyond, of all the gifts that tennis has given me over the years, the greatest, without a doubt, has been the people I’ve met along the way: my friends, my competitors and most of all the fans who give the sport its life. Today, I want to share some news with all of you.
"As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. 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 has been clear.
"I am 41 years old. 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 recognise when it is time to end my competitive career.
"The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour."
Federer, along with legendary rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, have dominated men's tennis for the best part of 20 years, and his retirement brings the curtain down on a golden era for the sport.
Between them, they have won an astonishing 63 Grand Slam titles, with Federer on 20, Djokovic on 21 and Nadal on 22 - with the latter two capitalising while the Swiss was out of action this year.
The Grand Slam leaderboard between the trio could have been slightly different had Federer stayed injury free over the last three years, but he will go down as arguably the greatest men's player after his stunning emergence in the early 2000s.
And following the sad news of his retirement, the world of tennis were quick to pay tribute to the Swiss legend.
Wimbledon, where he has won a record-breaking eight titles, issued an emotional statement in the wake of the news: "Roger, Where do we begin? It's been a privilege to witness your journey and see you become a champion in every sense of the word.
"We will so miss the sight of you gracing our courts, but all we can say for now is thank you, for the memories and joy you have given to so many."
It will certainly be an emotional, yet special occasion, when Federer takes to the court as a professional for one last time at the Laver Cup in the English capital.
During his stellar career, Federer won eight Wimbledon titles, six Australian Open's, five US Open's and one French Open.
Federer, who reached 31 Grand Slam finals overall, spent a remarkable 310 weeks as world number one, with 237 of those coming consecutively.
The likes of Juan Martin del Potro and Denis Shapovalov were quick to send a fitting message to Federer. The Argentine wrote: "I LOVE YOU, Roger. Thank you for everything you've done in tennis and with myself. Tennis world will never be the same without you."
Meanwhile, Shapovalov said: "A role model for me and so many others!! Thanks for everything Roger. It's been a privilege to share the court with you!!"
