Roger Federer's greatness goes beyond the numbers

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Saying that his 41-year-old body is telling him it's "time to end my competitive career" after three injury-plagued years, the Swiss great announced today that he'll walk away from pro tennis following next week's Laver Cup team event in London.

Given his age and knee problems that have prevented him from competing since his quarter-final loss at Wimbledon in July 2021, Federer's announcement isn't exactly a shock. But fans had hoped for a victory lap after Federer indicated this summer that he'd like to play one more time at Wimbledon, where he won a men's-record eight of his 20 Grand Slam singles titles.

In addition to his Slam triumphs, Federer captured Olympic doubles gold for Switzerland in 2008 with teammate Stan Wawrinka, and singles silver in 2012 in London, where he lost the final at the All England Club to Britain's Andy Murray just a few weeks after beating him in the Wimbledon title match on the same court.

Since making his pro debut at the age of 16 in 1998, Federer has won 103 tour-level titles and racked up 1,251 singles wins — both second to Jimmy Connors in the Open era. He holds the record for most consecutive weeks atop the men's rankings, and for oldest men's No. 1 (he regained the top spot at age 36 in 2018, the year he won his final major). At the height of his powers, Federer won 11 of the 16 majors played in the 2004 through 2007 seasons.

The stats are staggering, but the best way to appreciate Federer's brilliance was by watching him play. Powerful yet graceful, fiercely determined yet elegant, Federer sometimes seemed as much an artist as an