World of sport reacts to Roger Federer’s retirement on social media
On a personal note, last week I wrote about the death of my dad. It was not my first visit, in fact he was the first person I had visited on this site and it was his birthday.
It has been a week now since Roger Federer announced his retirement. It is a moment that has filled people with emotion, but also a moment that has highlighted the divide that is at the heart of modern sport and has caused many people to question the future and, in recent years, the role that sport should play at a global level.
On social media, in particular, Federer has been applauded with almost unanimous support. His legacy, like those of other sporting legends, has been defined by his achievements on the court. As well, many people have gone to great lengths to express their sadness for what has happened.
Here we examine a range of reactions to Roger Federer’s retirement from the world of sport.
The reaction in tennis
Dwight van der Wiel reacted to the news on Twitter with a very personal message. “To my lovely friend Mimi, and all of the Federer fans, my heart is with you. We will miss you.”
“We’ll all miss you. You’ll be missed,” tweeted Kim Clijsters, referring to her husband, who is also a legendary tennis player. “I’ll have a million good reasons to celebrate retirement, too.”
The announcement has left shock waves in tennis, especially in the sport’s home country of South Africa where the country’s top players have already pulled out of upcoming tournaments to campaign for Federer’s retirement.
“This is a moment that I never thought to come. I knew him for a long period of time, but never thought that he would retire,” said Kieren Perkins, who has been ranked as one of the world’s top-100 tennis players in recent years, in a post on his personal website.
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