Highlights:
- At the Laver Cup, Federer announced his career retirement.
- After the 2022 season, Vettel retired from Formula 1.
- After winning the Australian Open, Barty announced his retirement.
Numerous recognisable sports stars said goodbye in 2022, making it a year of farewells. The year saw some greats sports personalities retire from their beloved sports, including 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer and four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel.
The athletes who have bid farewell in 2022 are listed below:
1. Roger Federer
To my tennis family and beyond,
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 15, 2022
With Love,
Roger pic.twitter.com/1UISwK1NIN
Federer, who is widely considered as the greatest tennis player ever, was an inspiration to a whole generation of players. At the Laver Cup, the legendary Swiss tennis player announced retirement. At the O2 Arena in London, Federer’s last dance was an emotional moment, with his teammates, opponents, family, and fans all around him weeping. The Swiss maestro’s final match was a doubles match at the Laver Cup with long-time tennis rival and friend Rafael Nadal.
2. Juan Martin del Potro
Due to ongoing injury problems, the big Argentinean resigned from professional tennis in February. The 2009 US Open winner was renowned for his powerful serve and his 22 singles titles. Additionally, The Tower of Tandil has won two Olympic singles medals. Del Potro, who lost to Federico Delbonis in the first round of the Argentina Open, announced his retirement due to a chronic knee injury.
3. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
After being defeated by Casper Ruud in the French Open’s first round, the 37-year-old decided to retire from his professional career as a tennis player. The Frenchman came in second in the 2008 Australian Open while winning 18 ATP singles titles. Additionally, he twice reached the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Championships (2011, 2012) and the French Open (2013, 2015).
4. Ashleigh Barty
After becoming the first Australian woman to win the Australian Open in 44 years, the tennis sensation from Australia startled the world by announcing her retirement from the sport. The 26-year-old won the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, the 2022 Australian Open, and the 2019 French Open during her brief career. The fourth-longest streak in the history of the sport was held by Barty, who held the top spot in the WTA rankings for 114 consecutive weeks.
5. Sebastian Vettel
A remarkable career ?
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 28, 2022
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has announced his retirement at the end of the season#F1 #ThankYouSebhttps://t.co/gwfBPx1G3U
The four-time Formula 1 champion made the decision to announce his retirement after the 2022 season. In 2006, the German racer joined BMW Sauber as a test driver to begin his Formula One career. From 2010 to 2013, Vettel won four consecutive titles, the first of which made him the sport’s youngest champion ever. Before ending his career, Vettel spent the final two years of his stint with Aston Martin.