'Could have stopped me long ago': Roger Federer breaks down while thanking his wife; WATCH

As 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer bid farewell to tennis after a 24-year-long glittering career, he did not forget the emotional support provided by his wife, Mirka. The Swiss maestro had heartening words for Mirka as he explained how she could have stopped him from playing the sport he loves a long time ago.

Federer thanks his wife for support

As Roger Federer battled his tears and thanked everyone for their support throughout his career, he gave a special mention to Mirka. Speaking of his wife in his post-match interview, he said, "My wife is so supportive. She could have stopped me a long, long time ago but she didn't. She kept me going and allowed me to play, so it's amazing - thank you." After the 41-year-old finished his post-match interview, he had an emotional moment where he embraced his wife and his children.

In his post-match interview, he also had some special words for the rest of his family and for the team that has helped him become the player that he is. "Everybody is here tonight... my family, so it’s great. I had so much fun over the last 13 years. Everybody’s here - the girls, the boys (Myla Rose, Charlene Riva, Leo and Lenny). And then I don’t know…I find that always funny. We always blame my mom for everything because without her I wouldn’t be here, of course. So, thanks to my parents, you have been amazing. Thank you!"

As for the rest of his team, he added, "But to be saying goodbye to a team; I always felt that I was a team player at heart. Singles don’t really do that a whole lot, but I have had a team, you know, that travelled with me around the world. It’s been amazing with them. So, thanks to everybody who made it work for so many years."

Roger Federer's glittering career in numbers

In his 24-year-long career, Roger Federer has broken almost every record that has existed in tennis. He will end his trophy-laden career with 20 Grand Slam titles that include six Australian Opens, one French Open, a record eight Wimbledon titles and five US Opens. The Swiss maestro also earned a total of 1251 wins on the ATP Tour, the second highest after Jimmy Connors (1274). Last but not least, he also won a total of 103 trophies on the tour, only behind Connors (109).