Roger Federer's retirement: a list of the records he set in his career; reactions and tributes

"To my tennis family and beyond, of all the gifts that Tennis has given me over the years, the greatest, without a doubt, has been the people I've met along the way: my friends, my competitors and most of all the fans who give the sport its life. Today, I want to share some news with all of you………………I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career," tweeted Federer while announcing his retirement.

On his retirement, his arch rival on court, Novak Djokovic, also expressed his grief, "Roger, it's hard to see this day and put into words all that we've shared in this sport together. Over a decade of incredible moments and battles to think back on. Your career has set the tone for what it means to achieve excellence and lead with integrity and poise. It's an honour to know you on and off the court and for many more years to come," wrote Djokovic."

On the same occasion, the current and youngest ever world no.1, Carlos Alcaraz, said, "Roger has been one of my idols and a source of inspiration! Thank you for everything you have done for our sport! I still want to play with you! I wish you all the luck for what comes next!"

Meanwhile, the legendary Rafael Nadal, one of Federer's biggest enemies ever, said, "I wish this day would have never come… It's a sad day for me personally and for sports people around the world. I said it to you when we spoke and now it's here. It's been a pleasure but also an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court."

On the occasion of the retirement of the greatest of all time, it is pertinent that some of his unbroken records be remembered. Federer has made several records in the field. Some have been broken by one of the Big Three, and some remain untouched.

Here are a few of Federer's records that have stood the test of time and may not ever be broken in Tennis:

Five consecutive US Open titles

While Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors are two players who have also won 5 US Open titles each, no player has ever won all 5 in consecutive years.

Roger Federer is the only player ever to win 5 US Open titles consecutively, from 2003 to 2008. John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl won more than two consecutive titles in the Us Open, but no one ever got close to winning five titles in a row. 

Most consecutive weeks as World no. 1

While Novak Djokovic holds the record for the most number of weeks as ATP World no. 1, the record for the most consecutive weeks is in the name of Federer.

Federer spent the most consecutive weeks in the top position, 237 weeks, between 2004 and 2008.

No one has ever come close to this record, and no one can survive four years in the top position in the ATP rankings as Federer did.

The longest winning streak on grass courts

No one has ever been able to match Federer's winning streak on grass courts. From 2003 to 2006, Federer won all 4 Halle Open titles and Wimbledon titles.

In 2007, Federer won his 5th consecutive Wimbledon title. In 2008, he won the Halle Open but lost the final at Wimbledon. From 2003 to 2008, Federer had a winning streak of 65 matches on grass courts, the most any tennis player has ever had. 

Five consecutive titles at two successive Grand Slams

Roger Federer is the only player to have five straight titles each in two Grand Slams that also occur consecutively.

As discussed above, Federer has five straight titles in the US Open from 2003 to 2008. During the same years, Federer also won 5 straight titles in Wimbledon, making the record of 5 consecutive titles at 2 Grand Slams