Gates, Messi and others pay tribute to Federer

Several notable celebrities paid tribute to Roger Federer following his announcement that he will retire after the Laver Cup.

As one of the most famous tennis players to ever live, Federer had many celebrity admirers and friends and many of them paid tribute to him following his retirement announcement. Chief among them is Bill Gates, a man who worked with Federer a couple of times, as they mainly cooperated for charitable purposes.

He wrote:

"You've been an incredible friend to me and an inspiration to an entire generation of tennis players. I'm lucky to have seen you work your magic on the court many times. And I'm excited to watch your philanthropic work grow in this next phase of your life."

Another one to paid tribute to him is football superstar Leo Messi who wrote on Instagram:

"A genius, unique in the history of tennis and an example for any athlete. All the best in your new stage, we will miss seeing you on the court making us enjoy."

Among others, there were former NBA basketball player Paul Gasol, Formula one drivers Goerge Russell and Fernando Alonso and many others.