World of sport reacts to Roger Federer’s retirement, saying it is not about the loss of his career: ‘Wimbledon will still be on TV’
Roger Federer retired after three-and-a-half years at the top of tennis and will miss the rest of the season to be with his mother, who is struggling with cancer.
The Swiss star, who won five Grand Slam titles and was the only man to beat Roger Federer four times, leaves the sport with a record of 17 Grand Slam titles.
However, many have criticised his decision, saying he didn’t do enough while he was still at the top to preserve it.
Now Wimbledon has expressed their support through the Twitter page of Wimbledon Chairman Tim Enright and said it was not a case of losing a great athlete for the sake of sport.
He said: “I am very sad to see Roger Federer retire from the sport of tennis.
“It has been a hugely successful three and a half years with him as our only Grand Slam to date and he has brought us so much joy and pleasure along the way.
“My thoughts are with his mother and the family. Tennis will always have a special place in Roger’s heart, but now Wimbledon will continue to be on television and the sport will, and should, live on.
“The world of sport has a history of supporting great athletes when they retire and, to my knowledge, this has not happened for Roger.
“The world of sport is not a place where you just get over. It is still Roger, Roger, Roger, as the world would expect. There are always more.”
The British Lawn Tennis Association (BTA) have said they were “confident” Federer would resume his career in time for the US Open.
BTA CEO Sir Philip Craven said they would ensure all the regulations are right before Federer decides to return to the sport.
He said: “After speaking to Roger, we are confident that, after further consultation with the tennis authorities, Roger will be back competing in Grand Slams in time for the US Open, and it would be good for the game if he did.
“The regulations were all adhered to in the last three years of his injury, and we are confident that, as he
