Roger Federer has spoken of how injury forced his decision to retire, admitting he had “stopped believing”.
The 20-time grand slam champion announced last week that he would bring his professional tennis career to a close after the Laver Cup that starts in London on Friday.
Federer, whose most recent competitive match was a loss to Hubert Hurkacz in last year’s Wimbledon quarter-finals, has been struggling with a knee problem.
“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 that after a scan a few months ago, “very quickly we realised this was it”, adding: “Then the question becomes: how do you announce and when do you announce? This is when it becomes reality. It was OK but stressful.”
He added: “If I can help the federation a little bit here and there, you know, I can see those things.
“I love this game and I want to stay involved in some shape or form. I won’t be a ghost or a stranger.”
And speaking about rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who have 22 and 21 grand slam singles titles respectively, and Andy Murray, he said: “All of a sudden there was this beautiful mix, we’re all winning for 10 plus years, all the same tournaments, almost nobody else could win anything else. It was like a lock on the big tournaments.
“So I think, also for the fans, it’s been a joy to watch, and I’m sure some fans will be sad I’m leaving, of course, but then again, there will always be wonderful new people.”
