Tennis legend Roger Federer announces retirement 

Roger Federer has announced next week's Laver Cup event in London will be his last ever ATP event as he officially retires from competitive tennis.

"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," wrote the 41-year-old in a post on social media.

"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 have been clear.

"This 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."

The Swiss tennis star cited injury challenges as the primary reason to call time on his career. He has not played a competitive match of tennis since Wimbledon 2021 after he was knocked out of the quarter-finals by Hubert Hurkacz.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever pick up a racket, Federer retires with 20 Grand Slam singles titles, behind Novak Djokovic (21) and Rafael Nadal (22), as well as winning Olympic gold in doubles at Beijing 2008 and silver in singles at London 2012.

Federer rose to dominance back in 2003 when he won his first of eight Wimbledon titles at just 22 years old.

His evolution into a an all-conquering champion swiftly followed with three Grand Slam victories in 2004 beginning in Australia, then in London and then in Flushing Meadows.

In 2005, one of Federer's greatest adversaries announced himself onto the scene at the 2005 French Open: Nadal. Their subsequent rivalry would become the stuff of legend as the grappled for titles on each other's favoured surface.

For six years they were hold the No.1 and No.2 spot in ATP tennis encountering each other often in Grand Slam finals with arguably their greatest clash coming at the 2008 Wimbledon final where Nadal would produce an almighty comeback from two sets down to win 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 7-9 in four hours and 48 minutes.

But there would be some consolidation for Federer when he would win his first of two Olympic medals at Beijing 2008 shortly after. Conquering the men's doubles along with other Swiss great, Stan Wawrinka.

In 2012 Federer, would record his most match wins since 2006 picking up a hard-fought Wimbledon title against Britain's Andy Murray

Roger Federer: Glittering career in numbers

• 20 Grand Slam singles titles won
• Six-time Australian Open winner (2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2017, 2018)
• French Open winner (2009)
• Eight-time Wimbledon winner (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2017)
• Five-time US Open winner (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
• 31 Grand Slam finals reached
• Career Grand Slam 2009
• 103 ATP Titles won
• Six-time ATP Masters winner (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011)
• 310 weeks at world number one including 237 consecutive weeks
• Olympic doubles champion Beijing 2008
• Olympic silver medallist London 2012
• 2014 Davis Cup winner

Roger Federer: Legacy at a glance

Federer rose to dominance back in 2003 when he won his first of eight Wimbledon titles at just 22 years old.

His evolution into an all-conquering champion swiftly followed with three Grand Slam victories in 2004 beginning in Australia, then in London and then in Flushing Meadows.

In 2005, Rafael Nadal, one of Federer's greatest adversaries announced himself onto the scene at the French Open. Their subsequent rivalry would become the stuff of legend as they grappled for supremacy oftentimes on each other's favoured surface.

For six years they would hold the No.1 and No.2 spot in the ATP tennis rankings encountering each other in Grand Slam finals.

Their greatest clash came in the 2008 Wimbledon final where Nadal would produce an almighty comeback from two sets down to win 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 7-9 in four hours and 48 minutes.

Though dismayed at the result there would be consolation for Federer shortly after. The Swiss would go to to win the first of his two Olympic medals at Beijing 2008 after conquering the men's doubles along with Stan Wawrinka.

In 2012, Federer would record his most match wins since 2006 picking up a hard-fought Wimbledon title against Britain's Andy Murray in that divided a nation watching on. Murray would have his revenge soon after though, by denying the Swiss Olympic gold on the Wimbledon courts at London 2012.

A year later the tennis sensation began to suffer from his first spate of injuries. The next batch would come in 2016 where on-going knee pain would force him out of the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Not 12 months later 2017 became known as the 'Roger Renaissance' as he rekindled the same flashing form that propelled him to success in his early years.

Opting to skip the clay season entirely for the sake of longevity proved a worthwhile decision as he claimed a record-breaking eighth Wimbledon title without dropping a single set.

His victory at the All England club, married with the Australian Open title he clinched earlier in the year over old-time foe Nadal, had tennis fans imagining what more would be possible.

And in 2018, their questions were answered. Federer would defend his Australian Open title to win his 20th and final major. He became the first man in history to reach the number, only later to be superseded by Djokovic and Nadal.

Even in the latter years of the tennis maestro's career Federer was still reaching the second week of Grand Slams with relative ease.

In 2021, he would become the oldest Wimbledon quarterfinalist in the Open Era, but that match against Hurkacz of Poland would be his last ever at a Slam.