"Fans mean a lot to me but I don't want to abuse my body" says Federer on retirement

The process will be a long one after he got another knee surgery that has left him in crutches for some time. While Federer has been able to ditch the crutches for the Laver Cup he was seen sporting them at the Paris Fashion Week as he slowly recovers from the knee surgery. Speaking at the Laver Cup he noted that this time around he will do things as slowly as possible in order to make the recovery as best he can.

Federer is well aware that this is his last chance of playing tennis competitively and another knee injury would likely mean the end of a storied tennis career. Asked about the end of his career Fedederr gave an interesting response:

"The fans mean a lot to me, but I do not want to abuse my body. I still want to play exhibitions down the road and go to markets in places I've never been before. I still want to run around with my kids and ski."

This is a sentiment Federer echoed a few times before noting that he wants to keep the functionality of his knee for the rest of his life so he can enjoy some of the activities he enjoys besides tennis. As arguably the most popular tennis player in history, Federer will serve as the ambassador for the sport for decades to come and it's a role he fondly embraces.