Tom Brady pays tribute to "great champion" Roger Federer after tennis legend announces retirement

Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar Tom Brady and 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer have defied Father Time for several years.

But all great careers eventually come to an end, and on Thursday, September 15, Federer called time on his 24-year long journey with a post on social media. A section of it read:

“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I've worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body's capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear.

“I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”

Tributes poured in for Federer after his announcement, and Brady also posted a short message on Instagram, which read:

"Congrats on an amazing career Roger Federer. A great champion."

Tom Brady congratulates Roger Federer after tennis star announces retirement | Image Credit: Tom Brady/Instagram

Brady said this about Federer earlier in the day:

"Phenomenal. Just a great player. He's just a great competitor, and I think all those guys, we all work so hard, I think. We all do. I'm sure you guys do too. You're at the top of your profession, too. We're all just working hard trying to be the best we can be at it, and he had a great run."

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Tom Brady and Roger Federer's friendship goes way back

After Federer won his 18th Grand Slam title in 2017, Tom Brady congratulated the tennis great and joked that he had a long way to go if he was to win 18 championships:

"18 championships!!! Damn, I'm gonna have to play a lot longer to catch that Roger Federer!!"

Federer went on to add two more Grand Slam titles to his tally, with his final Major honor coming in 2018.

While it's unlikely that Brady will match Federer's championship tally, the quarterback's seventh Super Bowl win was just as impressive as the tennis star's accomplishments. Federer congratulated Brady and Gisele Bundchen after the Buccaneers' Super Bowl win in 2021 by posting a photo with both of them.

He captioned it:

"@gisele 2 plus 5 equals 7. What an inspiring achievement. @tombrady Age is just a number #tb12"

Federer will participate in the Laver Cup next week before retiring, while Brady could call time on his career at the end of the 2022 season. The duo are among the most dominant athletes of all time and the mutual respect they share for each other is admirable.