Roger Federer announces his retirement from the ATP Tour and grand slams
The Swiss tennis player announced on Monday that will retire from the Tour from 2014 to 2015 after the first Grand Slam of the year.
From the Swiss Open in January he reached the final, losing to Rafael Nadal. Then from the French Open at Roland Garros, he won his first title and at next year’s WTA Championships in Tokyo he will take his second.
Now he will withdraw from the ATP World Tour Finals in Indian Wells and the US Open in November, in order to return to Switzerland after being out of action for a year.
This decision comes five days after he announced he will retire from competitive tennis, after winning all four grand slams.
“I decided to retire because my body can no longer cope with the level of play and the stress on the body. I feel a real need to start a new chapter,” said Federer.
“It has been a very difficult decision, but I am very happy with the way things have gone. The most important thing is to enjoy the last two years of my career. That’s the most important thing. After I retire, I want to continue to improve and try and take on new challenges. I am just looking at the future now.”
“I have enjoyed my time on the tour so much but I realise there is only one thing in life you can control, and that is how you live your life, and that’s what I have decided to focus on.”
The Swiss Open championship final. (AFP)
The Swiss player has won 11 majors and the ATP tour’s most prestigious titles: three Roland Garros and two US Opens.
The Swiss player’s last match was the 2015 Australian Open final. After beating Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals, he lost in the semi-finals to Rafael Nadal.
Federer has been linked to a number of commercial endorsements, but this could be his last contract.
In September, Wimbledon, US and Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic was the subject of a report by the US Anti-Doping Agency.
A three-match ban for an irregular use of a doping stimulant has been issued, but his
