"To truly 'Federize' someone, you must not only dominate then but also dominate then with class and style' - Stefanos Tsitsipas' best tribute yet to Roger Federer on his retirement
World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas took to social media to pay tribute to Roger Federer after the Swiss maestro announced his plans to retire. The 41-year-old revealed on Thursday that the upcoming Laver Cup is the final ATP-level tournament of his illustrious career.
Tsitsipas paid tribute to Federer in an Instagram post, saying that the veteran conquered the world while also making the sport look effortless.
"He came. We saw. He conquered. We admired. Thank you Roger Federer for elevating our sport to an unfathomable extent. For making this sport look so damn effortless, but complicated to emulate at the same time. Your style, personality, talent, finesse, and passion will be remembered in the game of tennis forever!" wrote Stefanos.
The former World No.1 has been missing from action since sustaining a quarterfinal loss at Wimbledon last year. Tsitsipas credited the Swiss as the reason behind his pursuit of tennis.
"I can’t thank you enough for being the reason I pursued tennis in the first place. The reason I play a one-handed backhand today. The reason I dreamt for the first time watching you lift that Wimbledon trophy in 2004. To truly "federize" someone you must not only dominate them, but also dominate them with class and style. And that can be found in the Urban Dictionary thanks to you Roger Federer," he added.
Tsitsipas is set to feature alongside the 20-time Major winner as part of Team Europe at the Laver Cup, something he is looking forward to.
"Proud and honoured to be part of “The Last Dance” by your side," he said.
"Next week's Laver Cup in London will be my last ATP tournament" - Roger Federer
In his retirement announcement, Roger Federer looked back on his long and successful career and thanked everyone for supporting him over the years. He also declared that the Laver Cup will be the last event of his professional career.
"I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 games in 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever dreamed and now I have to realize that it is time to end my competitive career. Next week's Laver Cup in London will be my last ATP tournament. Of course I will continue to play tennis in the future, but no longer in Grand Slams or on the tour," he said.