Roger Federer: I’ve laughed, cried, and most of all I have felt incredibly alive

To my tennis family and beyondOf all the gifts that tennis has given me over the years the greatest without a doubt has been the people Irsquove 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 youAs many of you know the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries Irsquove worked hard to return to full competitive formBut I also know my bodyrsquos capacities and limits and its message to me lately has been clearI 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 careerThe 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 tourThis is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the tour has given me But at the same time there is so much to celebrate I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on Earth I was given a special talent to play tennis and I did it at a level that I never imagined for much longer than I ever thought possibleI would like to especially thank my amazing wife Mirka who has lived through every minute with me She has warmed me up before finals watched countless matches even while over 8months pregnant and has endured my goofy side on the road with my team for over 20 years I also want to thank my four wonderful children for supporting me always eager to explore new places and creating wonderful memories along the way Seeing my family cheering me on from the stands is a feeling I will cherish foreverI would also like to thank and recognise my loving parents and my dear sister without whom nothing would be possible A big thank you to all my former coaches who always guided me in the right directionhellipyou have been wonderful And to Swiss Tennis who believed in me as a young player and gave me an ideal startI really want to thank and acknowledge my amazing team Ivan Dani Roland and particularly Seve and Pierre who have given me the best advice and have always been there for me Also Tony for creatively managing my business for over 17 years You are all incredible and I have loved every minute with youI want to thank my loyal sponsors who are really like partners to me and the hardworking teams and tournaments on the ATP Tour who consistently welcomed all of us with kindness and hospitalityI would also like to thank my competitors on the court I was lucky enough to play so many epic matches that I will never forget We battled fairly with passion and intensity and I always tried my best to respect the history of the game I feel extremely grateful We pushed each other and together we took tennis to new levelsAbove all I must offer a special thank you to my unbelievable fans You will never know how much strength and belief you have given me The inspiring feeling of walking into full stadiums and arenas has been one of the huge thrills in my life Without you those successes would have felt lonely rather than filled with joy and energyThe last 24 years on tour have been an incredible adventure While it sometimes feels like it went by in 24 hours it has also been so deep and magical that it seems as if Irsquove already lived a full lifetime I have had the immense fortune to play in front of you in over 40 different countries I have laughed and cried felt joy and pain and most of all I have felt incredibly alive Through my travels I have met many wonderful people who will remain friends for life who consistently took time out of their busy schedules to come watch me play and cheer me on around the globe Thank youWhen my love of tennis started I was a ball kid in my hometown of Basel I used to watch the players with a sense of wonder They were like giants to me and I began to dream My dreams led me to work harder and I started to believe in myself Some success brought me confidence and I was on my way to the most amazing arney that has led to this daySo I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart to everyone around the world who has helped make the dreams of a young Swiss ball kid come trueFinally to the game of tennis I love you and will never leave youWho said whatHere are some famous words spoken across Roger Federerrsquos careerI threw the kitchen sink at him but he went to the bathroom and got his tubAndy Roddick on losing the 2004 Wimbledon final to FedererIn the modern game yoursquore either a clay court specialist a grass court specialist or a hard court specialist or yoursquore Roger FedererFormer US great Jimmy ConnorsI feel that this rivalry goes not only in the tennis world People from outside of our world talk about it and thatrsquos good for our sportRafael Nadal at the 2017 Australian OpenHe hits shots that other guys donrsquot hit You want to go over and give him a high five sometimesSam Querrey after Federer hit a lsquotweenerrsquo in their clash at Wimbledon in 2015Federer is the most beautiful man to watch play tennisJohn McEnroeThe best way to beat him would be to hit him over the head with a racquetRod LaverI can cry like him but just canrsquot play like himAndy Murray after losing to Federer in the 2010 Australian Open finalYou have to wonder if hersquos from the same planetNovak DjokovicFab Federer facts20No of Grand Slam titles28No of ATP Masters titles6No of ATP Finals3No of Hopman Cup titles36The age when Federer returned to the World No1 spot and became the oldest player to do so in the ATP rankings2014The year he won the Davis Cup for Switzerland310No of weeks as World No1 of which 237 were successive weeks2No of Olympic medalsmdashmenrsquos doubles gold at Beijing 2008 and menrsquos singles silver at London 20121251 275Winloss record5No of times he ended the year as World No1mdash2004 2005 2006 2007 and 20092No of Olympic medalsmdashmenrsquos doubles gold at Beijing 2008 and menrsquos singles silver at London 201224No of successive ATP tournament finals wins130594339Total prize money earned