You changed the game: How social media reacted to Federer’s retirement post

Roger Federer announced his retirement with posts on Instagram and Twitter on Thursday. The posts went viral quickly and for good reason. Federer has won the third most Grand Slam titles behind Novak Djokovic (21) and Rafael Nadal (22). 

Reactions from across the Tennis world and fans of the grass court legend began pouring in from everywhere.

American former Tennis world no.1 player Andy Roddick, who played Federer in four major finals but lost every single one to the Swiss great tweeted his support and admiration for the player.

“Cheers Roger. Thanks for the shared memories my friend. It was an honor to share time/experiences on the most hallowed grounds in our sport. Don’t be a stranger ….” he wrote on Twitter.

The ATP tour, where Federer spent the past 24 years playing over 1500 games, tweeted out a simple, “You changed the game, #RForever.”

Wimbledon, the famed grass arena where Federer established his dominance, winning a record eight titles wrote a heartfelt letter to the 41-year-old. 

“Roger, Where do we begin? It’s been a privilege to witness your journey and see you become a champion in every sense of the word. We will so miss the sight of you gracing our courts, but all we can say for now is thank you, for the memories and joy you have given to so many,” the London-based court wrote.

Meanwhile, tennis fans the world over mourned the retirement of the tennis legend, with some putting up clips from matches earlier in Federer’s career as a testament to his skill.

One person even posted a video of Federer as a young tennis ball boy.

Federer underwent his third knee surgery after crashing out of the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year, being beaten by Hubert Hurkacz. In June, he dropped out of the top 50, the first time since May 2000. In July 2022, Federer dropped from the ATP singles rankings for the first time in the years since he began playing. He was first unranked back in September 1997, when he made his debut.