Roger Federer, 41, declared on Thursday that he would give up competitive tennis following the next Laver Cup. Fans have sensed a gap left by the 20-time Grand Slam winner’s departure since he announced it on social media. Federer was teary-eyed while talking about his former coach Peter Carter in an old interview he did for CNN that has now gone viral.
Carter passed away in 2002 at 37 while on his honeymoon in South Africa. It is significant to remember that Federer had not achieved a Grand Slam victory since then, and Wimbledon, his first Grand Slam victory, came only in 2003.
CNN interviewed Federer in 2019 and when asked about his former coach, the Swiss tennis maestro teared up.
“Sorry. I still miss him so badly, guy. I sincerely wish he would be. I’ve never sobbed in public before. I sincerely wish he would be. He probably did not want me to be a talent waster. I suppose his passing served as somewhat of a wake-up call for me. I started working out hard,” Federer remarked in a CNN interview.
I suppose if I can credit anyone for my technique today, it would be Peter, who was a pretty significant person in my life, he said.
Federer, the first male athlete to win 20 grand slam titles, declared his intention to give up competitive tennis after the Laver Cup in 2022. Federer announced his choice with a post on his Twitter handle. Federer won his first grand slam in 2003 when he won the Wimbledon title. He has since gone on to win 6 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 8 Wimbledon, and 5 US Open titles. He has been struggling with a knee injury for a long time.
He announced it on his Twitter account: “The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP tournament.”
The 20-time Grand Slam champion, 41, has been out since losing in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2021 before requiring more knee surgery.
Serena Williams’ retirement and Federer’s announcement are related events. Serena retired, having won the second-most grand slam titles in women’s tennis (23).
