"Your tennis became a habit. And habits never retire" - Cricket fraternity pays glorious tributes as Roger Federer announces retirement

Tennis legend Roger Federer announced on Thursday, September 15, that he will retire from the sport after the 2022 Laver Cup. Regarded as one of the greatest sporting icons ever, the 41-year-old took to his official social media handles to announce his decision to quit tennis.

The Swiss great is third on the list of men’s tennis players with the most Grand Slam wins - 20. Only Rafael Nadal (22) and Novak Djokovic (21) are ahead of him on the illustrious list. Pete Sampras with 14 is a distant fourth.

Federer’s decision doesn’t come as a surprise as he has been struggling with a knee injury for a while now. The tennis legend, who won his maiden Grand Slam title back in 2003, has lifted the Wimbledon trophy eight times. He also has six Australian Open, one French Open, and five US Open titles to his name.

The cricketing fraternity joined the rest of the world in paying tribute to the tennis giant. Here are some reactions posted on Twitter:

What a career, @rogerfederer. We fell in love with your brand of tennis. Slowly, your tennis became a habit. And habits never retire, they become a part of us.

Thank you for all the wonderful memories. https://t.co/FFEFWGLxKR

Farewell to the GOAT!
Congratulations on an immense career @rogerfederer 🙌 https://t.co/5RfAGINvPR

What a career @rogerfederer . Truly greatest of all times. https://t.co/ler6JKrziy

Congratulations on an amazing career @rogerfederer Wish you all the best!

End of an era! Congratulations @rogerfederer on making so many fall in love with the sport and a truly remarkable career 👏 https://t.co/nJjteiN2TT

Elegance is the only beauty that never fades & u defined it each time u stepped on to the court. A #Legend in every sense, you’re the reason billions followed tennis. Congrats on a brilliant career! Wishing you the very best! Thank you @rogerfederer ❤️ #GOAT #ThankYouRoger https://t.co/uZesROr4SO

A legend of the game. Tennis will miss @rogerfederer. He changed the game forever!
#RogerFederer https://t.co/KP1wamUVnc

Thank you, @rogerfederer, for all the wonderful memories. You are truly an artist and made us all fall in love with tennis with your grace and elegance on and off the field. Have a great second innings as well ! twitter.com/rogerfederer/s…

An inspirational athlete, an icon, a legend! Congratulations on an illustrious career 🙌 twitter.com/rogerfederer/s…

Virat Kohli pays his tribute to Rodger Federer 🐐👑

#rodgerfederer #viratkohli #cricket #tennis https://t.co/KkVN6YMrc6

Congratulations on a brilliant career 🙌 #RogerFederer https://t.co/mG8bHZQwqA

All good things come to an end. Great careers included.. Sportspersons entertain, achieve iconic status, but they have to exit one day.. The sport they adorned will carry on, but when greats like @rogerfederer retire, the sport may lose a huge number of spectators..

@rogerfederer Changed the game! Thank you for all the inspiration🙏

𝐑𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫 brings down the curtains on a glittering career having won a remarkable 2️⃣0️⃣ Grand Slams over a span of 2️⃣4️⃣ years 💙🎾

Happy retirement, 𝐆.𝐎.𝐀.𝐓 🐐

@Wimbledon @rogerfederer https://t.co/EDUPjU0VNH

There can never be another @rogerfederer! 🎾

We will miss the legend who changed the dimension of the game single-handedly. An artist of this wonderful sport. 🎾

#RForever #RogerFederer https://t.co/p9ZrjC9Z4f

Congratulations @rogerfederer on you amaizing career
#retirement
#Tennis twitter.com/rogerfederer/s…

Grace and elegance personified, the title of GOAT suits you well @rogerfederer. Thank you for all the memories, champ. https://t.co/LuerDLjHbl

Forever 🐐. Forever class.

Thank you for making us fall in love with tennis! 💜

@rogerfederer #RogerFederer https://t.co/FxPqxeYrWk

GOAT
----------
⊥∀Oƃ

To @rogerfederer, a legend in every dimension - thank you for the inspiration & memories! ♥️

#Federer https://t.co/PyUQS9J9Th

“Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt” - Federer in emotional note

While announcing his decision to retire, Federer said that he has worked hard to return to full competitive form, but his body has given him a clear message. He stated:

“To my tennis family and beyond, of all the gifts that tennis has given me over the years, the greatest, without a doubt, has been the people I have met along the way; my friends, my competitors and most of all the fans who give the sport its life. Today, I want to share some news with all of you.

“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I have worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body's capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear.

His retirement statement added:

"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.”

He also confirmed that the Laver Cup next week will be his final ATP event. The 41-year-old said:

“The Laver Cup next week will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future of course but just not in grand slams or on the tour. This is a bitter sweet decision because I will miss everything the tour has given me. But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate.

"I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible."

Federer’s last Grand Slam win came at the Australian Open in 2018 when he defeated Marin Cilic in the final. He thus became the first men’s tennis player to win 20 Grand Slam titles.