Roger Federer Set To Retire As Tennis Interest Seems To Be Reaching New Level

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Roger Federer is retiring from professional tennis. Arguably the greatest to ever do it, the 20-time Grand Slam winner is stepping away from the sport following the Laver Cup later this month.

Federer pinned a letter addressing his supporters on social media stating that he is listening to his body and that his health is what is pushing him to leave tennis.

"As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries," Federer wrote. "I've worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body's capacities and limits, and its messages to me lately has been clear."

"I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. 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."

His retirement announcement was nothing but class, which is expected from one of the classiest athletes of all time.

Federer will finish his career with 20 Grand Slam singles titles and a total of 103 singles titles, the second-most in the Open Era. He also won a Gold Medal at the 2008 Olympics in doubles.

Roger Federer's Retirement Comes At An Inopportune Time

There was never going to be an ideal time for Federer to retire from tennis. It's never easy to see one of the greatest athletes of a generation succumb to the undefeated Father Time, but Federer's retirement coming at this exact moment stings just a bit more.

Tennis, especially among casual fans in the United States, seems to have hit a new level of popularity.

(Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Federer Was Part Of A Growing List Of Popular Tennis Players

Serena Williams retiring after this year's US Open certainly drew more eyeballs to the sport, but the men's game seems to be in a great place at the moment as well.

Nick Kyrgios, Frances Tiafoe, Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, and of course Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are just a handful of players that are turning into appointment viewing when they take the court.

I myself am a casual fan of tennis and typically only tune in for the Slams. But I can't tell you how many of my own friends have been talking about and posting about the sport throughout the entire year.

Tennis will hurt and is losing an all-time legend with Federer retiring as The Big Three now turns into The Big Two, but the sport also seems to be in a great place at the same time. Maybe a new Big Three, or Four, or Five will emerge soon.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.