Roger Federer Already Knows What He’ll Do After He Retires From Tennis
Roger Federer is arguably the best tennis player of his generation, and one of the best of all-time. But, like all athletes, time will eventually catch up to him and cause him to call it a career and retire from the sport. The 38-year-old doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon, but the time will come sooner than later as he approaches the milestone age of 40.
Whenever Federer hangs up his racket for the last time, he already has some plans for what he will do in his post-tennis life.
What Roger Federer has — and has not — accomplished in his career
It may seem like Federer has accomplished everything there is to accomplish in tennis, but that is not entirely true as there is one title that has eluded him. But the list of what he has won is extensive.
He holds the record for most career men’s Grand Slam singles titles with 20 — and he has appeared in 30 Grand Slam finals total — and he has spent a record 302 weeks as the world No. 1, including becoming the oldest to achieve the ranking at the age of 36.
His 102 career singles titles are second in the Open Era, behind only Jimmy Connors (109). But there is one significant honor missing from Federer’s resume — an Olympic gold medal in a singles event. Federer won doubles gold with Stanislas Wawrinka in 2008, and he earned a singles silver in 2012, but he has yet to win a singles gold.
He wants to compete at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo this summer, giving him what would likely be a final chance at that elusive gold.
Roger Federer’s thoughts on retirement
Even though he’s in his late 30s, Federer is torn on whether to retire. During an exhibition tour of South America in November, Federer discussed the topic, saying his “retirement is going to depend on [his] health,” but at that moment he saw “no reason to stop.”
10 years earlier, in 2009, he contemplated leaving tennis but decided to stay, admitting that he “expected to play until 35-36” but has remained on the court beyond that timetable. Federer has also acknowledged that he wants to keep playing for his fans, who send him messages telling him they’re not ready for him to retire yet.
While he is physically still up for the challenge of tennis, there are aspects of Federer’s life that are pulling him toward the possibility of retirement, with the biggest being his family. Federer has a wife and four children, with whom he lives in his native Switzerland.
Financial stability in retirement
When Roger Federer retires, he won’t have to worry about money. In addition to all of his tennis winnings, he also has a number of endorsement deals and other investments that give him extra income for his family.
One of those investments is in Swiss manufacturer On, which makes performance running shoes and clothing. Federer announced his investment in On following last year’s South American exhibition tour. He is committed to helping the company develop its elite brand as the company looks to compete with more well-known brands, such as Nike, with whom Federer terminated his affiliation last summer.
Some people have speculated that the tennis star’s investment in On is a sign that he is close to retirement, but Federer denies that. Regardless of his retirement plans, it is smart for Federer to invest in companies like On now while he is still playing and in the spotlight.
Any investments he makes will help secure his family’s financial stability in the future, when he has stopped playing and the endorsements have potentially slowed down.
