Roger Federer is bidding farewell to his life as a professional tennis player. His last event will be the Laver Cup at the O2 Arena in London.
Tennis will miss him. He set the bar for the sport. He is legendary. He is an icon. he is a brand.
The brand of tennis he played was a throwback to the past. The fluidity of his game was mesmerising to watch. His movement on the court was like watching a ballet and his stroke from a beautiful single handed backhand to the precision of his serve and volley game, had fans gasping.
He set records and while some have been passed, there is no diminishing what he achieved.
Tournament director Michael Luevano said: "Roger is an incredible inspiration. He is a wonderful friend. He loved coming to Shanghai and tennis fans at the Rolex Shanghai Masters adored him. We will miss watching his play but from all of us, we wish him every good thing for the next chapter of his life."
Twice he won the Rolex Shanghai Masters among his 103 career title that included 20 majors. He had 1,251 match wins, five times he was year-end No.1, a record 237 consecutive weeks at No.1 and he won 40 ATP awards.
Thank you Roger Federer for being the champion you are and always will be.
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