'An important part of my life is leaving too,' says emotional Rafael Nadal of Roger Federer retirement

By Aimee Lewis, CNN

Updated 1023 GMT (1823 HKT) September 24, 2022

Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererRoger Federer hits a backhand during the Wimbledon final in 2017.Hide Caption1 of 43Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererFederer was born in Basel, Switzerland, on August 9, 1981. He posted this photo to his Facebook account in 2016.Hide Caption2 of 43Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererA teenage Federer hits a shot while on his way to winning the junior title at Wimbledon in 1998.Hide Caption3 of 43Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererFederer with his parents, Robert and Lynette, in 1998.Hide Caption4 of 43Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererFederer hits a forehand at Wimbledon in 2003. He would go on to win the tournament, his first grand slam title.Hide Caption5 of 43Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererFederer and Serena Williams pose with their Wimbledon trophies in 2003.Hide Caption6 of 43Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererFederer celebrates after defeating Lleyton Hewitt to win his first US Open in 2004.Hide Caption7 of 43Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererFederer signs a camera after a French Open match in 2005.Hide Caption8 of 43Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererFederer, top, plays Andy Roddick during the 2005 Wimbledon final. Federer won five straight Wimbledons from 2003-2007.Hide Caption9 of 43Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererFederer and Andre Agassi hit balls on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2005. It was ahead of a tournament in Dubai.Hide Caption10 of 43Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererFederer and his future wife, Mirka, hang out in Paris together. She was also a professional tennis player. They were married in 2009.Hide Caption11 of 43Photos: Tennis great Roger FedererFederer