On Thursday, tennis professional Roger Federer announced he will retire from the sport after he competes at his final match in the Laver Cup, which takes place in London at the end of September. 

   The Switzerland native began to play tennis at eight years old, and played in his first junior match at 14. Federer gained international recognition at the 2001 Wimbledon Championships and at the age of 19, he beat four-time champion Pete Sampras. 

   Since then, Federer has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, eight Wimbledon titles, five men’s singles U.S. Open titles, six year-end championships, and several gold and silver Olympic medals. Additionally, Federer was presented with the Association of Tennis Players (ATP) Player of the Year award a total of five times.

   According to ESPN, “ ‘I 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 recognize when it is time to end my competitive career,’ ”Federer said. 

   By many, Federer is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, in addition to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams.

   “At one point, he spent 237 consecutive weeks as the world No. 1 — an ATP record. In 2018, he became the oldest man to hold that ranking,” according to NPR.

   Federer’s retirement announcement was not far behind Williams, who played her last match at the 2022 U.S. Open, earlier this month. The end of both Federer’s and Williams’ careers also brought the end to an era in the tennis world. Yet, both players’ legacies will leave a remarkable impact on not just tennis, but the entire sports community.