Roger Federer Retirement: Twenty-time Grand Slam winner to bow out in London

Roger Federer will retire from tennis after this month's Laver Cup in London, the 41-year-old announced on Thursday.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion hasn't played since Wimbledon this summer, due to fitness problems, said:

"My body's message to me lately has been clear... I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career."

To my tennis family and beyond,

With Love,
Roger pic.twitter.com/1UISwK1NIN

-- Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 15, 2022

Only Rafael Nadal (22) and Novak Djokovic (21) have won more Slams but Federer holds the record for the most consecutive weeks as world number one (237) and plenty of fans consider him the greatest player of all time.

London event will be eight-time Wimbledon champ's last

At his peak, he was unplayable and his temperament was immaculate. He was a popular champion, especially in England where he won the Wimbledon men's singles title a record eight times.

He sent writers into raptures as they marvelled at his grace and composure and wowed fans with his near-flawless backhand.

He was at times the complete player, commanding the same status in tennis as Tiger Woods in golf.

The Laver Cup is an indoor hardcour tournament played between Team Europe and Team World.

It's an usual event for Federer to sign off on his brilliant career but London is a fitting venue as it's where he played some of his greatest tennis.

He won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003 and was victorious there for the final time in 2017. He won his last Slam at the Australian Open in 2018.

With that victory in Melbourne, he became the second-oldest man to win a major singles title in the Open era.