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LONDON. — Swiss tennis star Roger Federer says his decision to retire came after he “stopped believing” he could continue playing because of injuries.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion is retiring from the sport after this weekend’s Laver Cup in London.
The Swiss (41) has not played since Wimbledon 2021, after which he had a third knee operation.
“The last three years have been tough to say the least,” he told BBC Breakfast yesterday.
“I knew I was on very thin ice for the last year ever since I played Wimbledon.
“I tried to come back but there was a limit to what I could do. And I stopped believing in it, to be honest.”
Federer said he had a scan a few months again and it was “not what I was hoping for”, adding: “Very quickly we realised this was it.
“Then the question becomes: how do you announce and when do you announce? This is when it becomes reality. It was OK but stressful.”
In a wide-ranging interview with Sally Nugent, Federer discussed his emotional retirement statement, reflected on his trophy-laden career, looked at what’s next for him and offered his memories of the late Queen. The eight-time Wimbledon champion announced his retirement last Thursday in a statement on social media.
“It’s been an emotional few weeks to go through those words to try to get them right, that they reflect how I’m feeling and thanking all the people who have helped along the way,” he said.
“I always pushed my retirement thoughts away. I said, the more I think about it, the more I’m already halfway retired and this is not the way to go to work, you know, for me as a tennis player, so we’ll deal with it when it comes. And it did. And I dealt with it.
“I think writing those words was, for me parts, partially also like, rehab, like going myself through all those words, feeling them.” Now regarded as an all-time great, Federer says he never went into tennis imagining he would have such success — and having achieved so much, he was now happy to step away. — BBC Sport
Online Reporter