MLess than a week after his emotional farewell to active tennis, at the Laver Cup, Roger Federer has given an interview to the New York Times. To questions from his specialist Christopher Clarey, the first of the ‘Big Three’ who says goodbye to tennis, reviews the intense moments that were lived in Londonand to its tensile longevity.
Roger jokes about his current situation stating that “I lost my job but I’m very happy. I feel good and complete. I lost my last singles match [en Wimbledon 2021] and doubles. I lost my voice supporting the team. It ended up being a happy goodbye, but I never thought it would happen like this.” He also pointed out that he communicated his decision to Nadal stating that he would play the doubles and he was quick to reply “‘I’ll do my best to be there with you.’ that we have had a tough rivalry and we respect each other a lot. I will never forget what he did for me.”
I would like to play various farewell exhibitions.”
He also pointed out that it has always been very difficult for him, actually, to control his emotions. “On Friday everyone, Andy, Novak and Rafa and the others saw their careers pass before their eyesknowing that we are somehow living on borrowed time. As you get older you start to know what you really appreciate in life but also in sports.”
About the image that will probably become the icon of his farewell, in which he and Nadal cry together, holding hands sitting on a bench, he stressed that “it was going through my mind how happy i was to experience that moment. The focus was on the singer, and you almost forget that they are taking pictures of you. At that moment she felt an emotion that she could not explain. It’s like talking to your children and saying ‘I’m crying, but I’m not sad, I’m feliz‘. It was hard not to cry at some point.”
Regarding the decision to withdraw, he acknowledged that in recent years he had tried several times to return but “in the end, it is age. After my last operation I knew that it would probably take one to recover. I saw myself playing again to make sure I did everything right. If you decide to retire, you are not doing the rehab correctly. But every day that time passed I saw that there are fewer and fewer opportunities to come back and I ended up accepting it”.
Roger acknowledges that he does not feel capable of playing tennis professionally, but believes that he can still step on a court again: “I think it would be beautiful in some way to have a farewell match, to thank the fans, because also many people ran out of tickets for the Laver Cup. I would like to play several farewell exhibitions, or take tennis to new places, but I’m not sure if I could or should now.
He also pointed out that he doesn’t currently see anyone practicing his style of play “I think everyone needs to be his own version of himself– and that he will continue to be a great tennis fan, “in the stands or on television”. But I’m going to sit back, relax and watch the game from a different angle. And, finally, he stressed that since he was the oldest of the ‘Big Three’, although the group includes Murray, it was important for him to retire first, although he thought that Nadal or Murray could get ahead of him. “But I hope everyone can play as long as possible.”
