‘Hard to Live Without Applause’- Just Like Yankees Phenom Derek Jeter, Will the 20-Time Grand Slam Champion, Roger Federer Have a Poetic End to His Retirement?

Derek Jeter and Roger Federer will go down as two of the gentlemen in sports. Even though they played different sports, Federer and Jeter have a lot of commonalities in their professional career. One dominated baseball for over 20 years, while the other one just retired after donning the game for over 24 years.

Yes! 20-time Grand Slam winner and Tennis icon Roger Federer announced that the upcoming Laver Cup tournament will be his last tournament. The Swiss maestro will not participate in the Grand Slam tournaments anymore.

But the main question is, has Federer retired at the right time, and will he get a fairytale farewell as Jeter got in 2014? Because in Jimmy Connors’ words, “it’s hard to live without the applause.” Notably, despite having a poor season in his last year, Derek Jeter received a grand farewell wherever he played in his retirement year. 

Roger Federer: The greatest ever says goodbye to professional tennis

Had it not been for his injuries in recent years, Federer would have won a couple more grand slam titles. But still, he will go down as one of the greatest to play the game.

It is not that there have not been better players than Federer and Jeter. In Tennis, Nadal and Djokovic have more Grand Slam titles than the Swiss maestro. But the amount of love and respect Federer has earned from his fans is beyond imagination.

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Given his legendary career, Federer could have played one Grand slam tournament and then bid farewell to the game. But the tennis legend is suffering from his knee injury for a long time. 

“I’ve 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…,” Federer wrote on Twitter. “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.”

Federer announced his retirement via releasing a statement on Twitter. He thanked his fans for their unconditional support throughout the years. The 20-time Grand Slam champ also confirmed that he will play the Laver Cup starting next week, which will be his last ATP event.

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What is your favorite moment from Roger Federer’s legendary career?