Roger Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champion who has long been one of the most beloved athletes in all of sports, said Thursday that he intends to retire from professional tennis later this month.
Though he hasn't played competitively in over a year, his announcement still sent waves throughout the tennis world, which saluted the 41-year-old on an iconic career.
Federer, who'll go down as one of the greatest athletes in history, transcends tennis. It was no surprise, then, that he received plaudits from the wider sporting world - and beyond - in the wake of his decision to retire.