Roger Federer has announced his retirement after next week's Laver Cup in London. He said: “I am 41 years old. I have played over 1500 games in 24 years. Tennis has treated me with more generosity than I ever dreamed, and now I will know when it is time to end my competitive career.

The last year of Federer's career has been marred by several injuries, as he underwent two knee surgeries in 2020 and another after Hubert Hurkacz defeated him in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2021. Although Federer says his body is full, legions of fans around the world have an irrational desire to see him compete forever. Federer embodies not only tennis, but what it means to be a tennis star. He is handsome, handsome, well-spoken and has no energy. He inspired a deep devotion to himself and his brand by refusing to quit and working at an unprecedented level of skill.

Funny, hard working, enthusiastic and brave. This is Federer at his peak. He's also technically proficient, making impossible shots seem like a walk in the park.

The list never ends

Federer has won an improbable number of Grand Slams during intense tournaments. He is the first player to win 20 Grand Slam titles and has held the world No. 1 ranking in the ATP rankings longer than any other player except Novak Djokovic.

Federer has also played in 31 finals (less than Djokovic), including a record 10 in a row. He was voted by his peers to win the singles title 13 times and won the ATP favorite 17 years in a row. He was named ATP Player of the Year and ITF World Champion five times, and won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award five times, including four consecutive awards from 2005 to 2008. He is also the only person to have won the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award four times.

Federer has spent 310 weeks as world number one, 237 of them in a row. He played all the greats of his generation and those who came before him, facing Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic. Despite playing with some of the greatest players of all time, Federer broke many records, including becoming the oldest world No. 1 and 36 years. He won the Australian Open six times, the French Open once, the US Open five times and Wimbledon, the tournament he is associated with and where he won his first Grand Slam, a record eight times.

Federer became world number one in 2004 and held that position until 2008 - a period when he dominated the Open era like never before. He won three Grand Slam titles each in 2004, 2006 and 2007, and at least one in all other years until the end of his reign. There is no doubt that he is the best player in the world, and his time as a world number one is some of the most dominant in history.

Although he is considered one of the most complete players, his relationship with clay is not easy. Nadal prevented Federer from winning at Roland Garros even in his first season, but it wasn't until the Spaniard fell in the first round that Federer was able to win his only Roland Garros title. In doing so, he is considered the greatest player of all time, having won all four major slams and equaling Sampras' grand slam record in the process.

Federer's achievements also include reaching 23 consecutive rounds. During his long reign, Federer has had to find new ways to talk to opponents, some of whom like Nadal and Djokovic rely on the physical aspects of Federer's game that often struggle. Despite this, in 2001, he ended Sampras' streak of 31 wins at Wimbledon.

He also beat Layton Hewitt in straight sets when the latter was supposedly at the peak of his powers. And in one of his most memorable matches, Federer beat Roddick in the 2009 Wimbledon final, a match that lasted well over four hours. Part of some great tournaments and games

Federer's streak matches that of 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal and 21-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, with whom he has dominated men's tennis for the past two decades.

Federer's 35 matches against Djokovic in the decade of 2010 are the most he has played against anyone. And the Swiss maestro's 22 victories, including 12 in the championship, are also the most lost against a player in this decade.

One of six players with a head-to-head record against Federer in the decade from 2010 to 2019, Nadal's 11 wins are Federer's second most losses against anyone in this decade.