[crowd cheering]
[inspirational music playing]
[indistinct voices]
[Federer] Just, er... yeah, the window. Close the windows.
[man] Camera, review the direction.
Good. Okay.
[indistinct chatter]
[man] Yeah, no problem.
I feel like I'm ready to start. And get it behind me.
That's how I feel. My God.
Hopefully, I will not be using those tissues today,
but I'm an emotional guy, so we'll never know.
[chuckles]
All right.
Ready?
"To my tennis family and beyond,
today I want to share some news with all of you."
Well, I'm Roger Federer,
I was a professional tennis player for over 24 years.
I played tennis my whole life.
"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've 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."
Sometimes, we, the players, don't like that "retirement" word,
it feels so... the complete end of everything,
of your whole tennis career and, "Okay, that's it."
The line is drawn and now you're a completely different person,
and every day is going to be different, and I didn't want to...
I want to make sure that it wasn't like that, the letter,
and I think we were able to achieve that.
"When my love of tennis started, I was a ball kid in my hometown of Basel.
I used to watch the players with a sense of wonder.
They were like giants to me, and I began to dream.
So I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart
to everyone around the world who has helped make the dreams of a Swiss...
So I want to thank you all, from the bottom of my heart,
to everyone around the world who has helped make the dreams
of a young Swiss ball kid come true.
Finally, to the game of tennis.
I love you and will never leave you."
- [crew applauding] - [laughs softly]
[exhales]
[poignant music playing]
[Federer] Good. Well, let's sign it.
- [in German] How are you? - [in German] All good.
[in German] It's all good.
[Federer, in English] Hey, buddy. What are you wearing?
Where's the FC Basel shirt today?
[chuckles]
Did you get wet?
- Not really. - Not really?
- You didn't have the rain there? Huh? - No.
- [in German] You okay? - [in German] Yeah. It's been weird.
[Roger chuckles]
[speaking German]
[in English] Oh, I love you. [kisses]
Did you have a good time in practice?
Did you score any goals today or not?
- A few, one, no, two. - Huh?
Five, maybe.
[man] Five?
And now I am the guy.
[chuckles] You're the guy?
- This is Charlene. - [speaking German]
[in German] Everything okay?
[Federer, in English] Telling the kids in the room
about my retirement, that was hard.
Three of the kiddies cried.
And Mirka cried, so it was obviously very emotional.
Lenny, you need a shower. You smell like a man.
[both laughing]
[Federer] Mirka came into my life when I was 18, 19 years old.
She then eventually started travelling with me rather quickly,
so I actually didn't go on the tour alone very often.
I thought it was the most incredible second part of my career.
It was two and then four children on the road, so it was the best time
and all my kids talk about how much fun it actually was on the road.
[Mirka] I think I'm a little bit happy-sad, you know,
erm, because it's been an incredible journey
which went by really, really fast
and, er, we had the best time together on tour
and it's been very emotional, the last few months,
because I-I feel that, you know, he would obviously like to play forever,
but the time has come and I will be there to support Roger.
- [dog barks] - Willow! [kisses] Come on.
Willy!
[Federer] I always told the media and everybody
that I didn't want to think about retirement until it's real.
And, er, here we are.
For us, when we're starting to debate when we could do it
and where and how and what,
it gets quite stressful because, at the same time,
you want to keep it under wraps.
It's been under wraps pretty much until today,
so we have 24 or more hours to go, pretty much, until it goes out,
but all good now and I just hope it goes well tomorrow.
[propulsive music playing]
[Godsick] Big day for Roger.
Yeah, we're about three hours away from Roger wanting to launch this letter.
He thinks it's leaked, but nothing leaks until he says something.
[Federer] It was pretty, I don't know...
It was an easy-relaxed morning until I started texting all my friends
and letting them know, I was, like, "Oh, my God,"
like, it starts working me... So, now I feel stressed.
Hey, guys.
- [man] What's happening? - Yeah, I know.
Big day.
- Yeah, so, Tony. - [Godsick] Yeah, I'm coming.
I just spoke to Severin.
- Well, he just told me that... - Yeah.
...he heard from a journalist that they heard
that maybe something's going down today.
- So, er, the question is just, do we... - [Mary] Announce sooner?
We'll go sooner, ignore it, even if rumours come out,
- I mean, we're two and a half hours away. - [Mary] Yeah.
The question is how much do we care that it would come out?
[Godsick] I don't think we care, I mean there's nothing on social media right now.
People have been speculating you're gonna retire since 2009,
so here we are in 2022. [chuckles]
- Okay, but there was no truth to it. - [Mary laughs]
[Godsick] Well, you never know, people thought that...
- It sounds good, but... - Yeah, no, I don't think we should care.
[Mary] We're hours... it's hours away.
- Look, I mean, if things start leaking... - [Mary] A week away, I'd say yes.
If things start leaking, you can press the button a little bit sooner
in my opinion.
A hundred percent. A hundred percent.
- But I think also, just for the fans... - [Godsick] Yeah.
...they would not want this.
You know, like, to have that wildfire starting and then... not knowing.
Is it true, is it not true?
I think the beauty of what you wrote in your letter
and the fact that you're voicing it over...
It's... The only way they're going to get confirmation is from you.
- [cell phone buzzes] - [Godsick] And they're gonna get it today.
Every message now, I'm like, "Ah!"
[all laughing]
- It's just my wife. It's just my wife. - [laughing]
And nothing important.
And then I should actually maybe just write to a couple more friends.
Er, who doesn't know yet?
[raindrops pattering]
[speaking French]
[pensive music playing]
Roger's biggest fan by far.
[Anna] Hi, Tony.
Hi, Anna, how are you?
I'm fi... I'm okay. I didn't sleep at all last night
any more than I'm sure any of you did, so...
Well, er, a big day. It's actually raining here in Switzerland,
which is quite appropriate.
Erm, I think it's the Swiss... the Alps are shedding a tear
for, er, for the end of one of the greatest sporting careers in history.
But certainly a new beginning.
Roger's out there telling his friends and stuff
and he's really at peace with the decision
and so he will play the Laver Cup, that'll be his last match of his career.
[Anna] Aw...
Erm, at the O2, it should be really amazing,
with his biggest rivals, Djokovic, Nadal, Murray, they're all going to be there.
And having Laver and Borg there, too, and McEnroe,
I think it's going to be beautiful, so...
I look forward to seeing you there.
[Anna] Erm, I will be there.
[sighs] I feel like it's quite stressful, just, erm...
it's almost like the calm before the storm, you know? Erm...
What are we, half... forty-five minutes away from posting.
So, it's just, er...
This feels a little bit, actually funnily enough,
like walking out to a big match
and you're in the locker room, you're ready... everything's ready,
you just have to wait for the moment where you can walk out.
These are the nerves I'm going to miss, but also I'm happy they're gone
once, er, once I'm officially retired.
Yeah. Because those nerves and those knots in the tummy...
[scoffs] ...it's draining after a while.
- [Lynette] Yeah, not to worry. - [woman 2] Are you parked outside then?
[Lynette] We parked outside.
- Okay. - [Robert] This is, er...
- Hi, everybody. - [Federer] Hi.
Oh, God forbid... [speaking German]
[Lynette, in English] It's a very emotional day.
It's been a long career, it's been an exciting road,
and on a day like this, you go back and you think where it started.
When we look back when he was a little boy,
practising in Basel,
and then coming slowly into the 15, 16, 17-year-olds.
Then he starts to travel
and every match afterwards, he went off on his own
because we didn't travel so much with him.
That's true. [laughs]
[Robert] I went with Roger more or less all around the world
for the last few years, since I'm on pension.
Oh, that's what it was?
It was a fantastic time.
Okay, I think it's time for Roger to retreat
and hopefully, he's happy about what he decided.
[indistinct conversation]
[Godsick] When you're ready to go, we go.
[Federer] Okay, I think we should do it now.
Just now, Rothesay's been reached out also that they heard something.
- Okay. - I just feel like we've got to ****ing go.
- [Federer] Let me just get Mirka. - [man] Mirka?
[speaking in German] We need to post it now.
Sorry, can everyone come into the room quickly?
Come Dad.
[in English] I need to check if I follow Roger
otherwise, I might not get the message, right?
- [woman] Better put the... - Freya, tell me, how do I...
- [Federer] Put the notification on loud. - Yeah.
I guess you know that your husband is... - Can you show me how...
- ...is taking a hike. - [laughing]
[man] Yup, ready.
- [man 2] It's live. - It's live.
- It is live. - I just got it!
I was the first one.
- [scoffs] So it went fast now. - [Mirka] Yeah.
Look with me.
[Federer on recording] ...all the fans who give the sport its life,
today, I want to share some news
- with all of you. - Have you seen it?
- [Mirka] Mm-mm. - No, you haven't?
As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges
in the form of injuries and surgeries.
And now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career.
The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event.
I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on Earth.
I was given a special talent to play tennis,
and I did it at a level that I never imagined,
for much longer than I ever thought possible.
I would like to especially thank my amazing wife Mirka,
who has lived through every minute with me.
Watched countless matches even while over eight months pregnant,
and has endured my goofy side on the road with my team for over 20 years.
I would also like to thank and recognise my loving parents, my dear sister,
without whom nothing would be possible.
Who consistently took time out of their busy schedules
to come and watch me play and cheer me on around the globe.
Thank you.
Seeing my family cheering me on from the stands
is a feeling I will cherish forever.
The last 24 years on tour have been an incredible adventure.
So I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart,
to everyone around the world who has helped make the dreams
of a young Swiss ball kid come true.
Finally, to the game of tennis, I love you
and will never leave you.
- [sobbing] - [Lynette] Bravo.
- [all clapping] - [woman] Yay!
Aw...
[man laughing]
[man] Don't. Don't.
- [Lynette] So well done. - Oh, it's okay.
- [Lynette] Come on. - [Mirka laughs]
So nice.
[woman] So good.
[Federer] Okay.
Er, you've got to do it the hard way.
Can't just go like this. Easy and simple.
[Godsick] I feel like the world's biggest fan...
[all laughing]
- [man] Oh, my gosh. - [man 2] Jesus, we should have some beers.
[man 2] Is there a TV we can turn on?
[BBC News theme music playing]
Well, let's turn to a very big sports story that came through
because Roger Federer has announced his retirement from tennis.
[announcer in French] A page in world tennis is turning this evening
with the announcement of Roger Federer's retirement.
[announcer 2 in English] ...sports world is losing a legend...
[announcer speaking Japanese]
[announcer speaking Spanish]
[announcer 3, in English] He's one of the greatest figures,
athletes, certainly, of all time.
[announcer 4] There was nobody that's ever played the game
that has looked that effortless on the tennis court.
I mean nobody floated around the baseline like him.
[announcer 5] There were rumours out of Switzerland that he was suffering
from fluid on the knee after trying to get back into training,
so it makes sense within the context of his deep struggle with his knee injury,
but it's a hard one for anyone who loves tennis to swallow.
I had a problem with when you've had surgery,
it's just getting your confidence back, you know.
Still feel a little pain on the inside.
But I've felt that for months now.
Erm, I've had a really good first nine months after surgery
and then all of a sudden here one day it started to be a little less good,
and then from then on it was a struggle.
And, er, we couldn't really improve any more and...
it's not worth it,
that's why we are here today. Wrapping up.
[speaking indistinctly]
In the beginning, when I was young I thought
I will never have surgery while I'm active.
I always felt, I'm one of the few
who never has to endure operations
because I will take time off when I have pain.
I would rather skip tournaments than having to do surgery
because I always thought doing surgery is the beginning of the end.
And I was not wrong.
[crowd cheering]
[Federer] In 2016, I lose to Novak in the semis of the Aussie Open.
I wake up the next morning and the kids went to the pool at the hotel,
so I was like, "Okay, let's quickly take a shower,
and then we go the zoo."
And the girls are, like, "No, we want to take a bath,"
and I'm, like, "No, it's shower time," and they're, like, "No, it's bath time."
And I'm, like, "Okay, then it is bath time. Fine, you win."
So I go to the bathtub and as I switch on the water, my knee goes "click".
I'm, like, "Oh, my God, what is going on with my knee?"
Came back to Switzerland, did a scan
and all signs were showing that my meniscus was causing me problems.
From that moment on, my knees were never the same.
[crowd cheering]
After the Match for Africa, in Cape Town,
I did have a very successful surgery on the left knee
which I thought it was going to be similar on the right knee,
but it wasn't, so...
six weeks after the surgery, I had to do another surgery on the same knee
and this is when things got crazy.
The rehab was very successful.
I thought, "I'll hopefully get back in no time."
But then very often you want to come back too quick.
And that's what actually happened.
[crowd gasping]
The thought of going through a five-hour match
and recovering the next day and then playing again...
Do I trust my body that I can do that right now? No chance.
So all of a sudden you realise,
"I don't want to put the knee though this anymore.
I know it's better to stop."
It's only afterwards where I started to realise
how much Mirka's been suffering.
I don't remember her begging me to stop,
but of course, she was asking the question,
"Why are we still doing this?"
I know that for her sitting there, she really didn't like that anymore
because she could feel I was not going to beat the best anymore.
[crowd groans]
I know my parents also didn't like it to see their son
going through at Wimbledon last year.
They know... they are on the in and they know how I'm feeling,
they know there is basically no chance I can win the tournament,
and things could actually only get worse.
[crowd gasping]
I think at one point they almost want to look the other way,
and they're like, "I don't need to see this," you know?
This is where I feel now since we know
that the knee is not allowing me to play anymore,
I could feel how relieved they actually were.
- [crowd cheering] - [announcer] But this is the story.
And we just don't know whether it's a final farewell,
he's certainly upset, of course.
And he's not about to hang about and discuss it.
[Federer] The end of that match was one of the worst moments of my career.
[crowd cheering]
I never thought I was going to have four surgeries before the end of my career.
If I would have known that from the beginning,
I would have never embarked on this journey.
[crowd chanting] Roger! Roger! Roger! Roger!
[indistinct chatter]
This is my last time in the gym officially,
erm, so this is more just about building up the muscles.
We are at such a low level now because we don't want to risk anything,
don't want to hurt the knee again.
I mean, I'm still not 100 percent, that I will be able to play the Laver Cup.
I know for singles, it's not gonna work, but for doubles I think it could.
So I just have to see, is it enough for me to walk out on court?
Because, you know, the world will be watching and I want to be able to produce
something that's... something that's good enough for that.
[clapping] Hey.
The gym life is over.
Did it!
[crew laughing]
[Federer] Ah...
I used to hate it. Now I will miss it.
[crew laughing]
[tyres screeching]
Hello.
How's everything?
[indistinct conversation]
[Federer] I feel good, but I guess a little sad at the same time, you know?
I just saw a fan at the airport,
and she had tears in her eyes when I was leaving,
and she said, "you know, I'll miss the 3:00
in the morning wake-ups from Australia,
you know, when you're playing," then I'm, like,
"Oh, my God, okay, yeah, I'll miss it too."
But you know, it's still... it'll be fine you know and, er,
that's when I realised, yeah, it's true, it's going to be emotional, erm...
Then just the unknown I guess, you know.
Maybe I like the unknown for once.
I usually like to know what's going to happen,
but maybe the unknown is okay for one week. [laughing]
Yup.
[Godsick] The Laver Cup funnily enough was conceived in, like, a car...
- [Federer] Like this? - This type of car, yeah.
[Federer] We would be sitting next to each other.
Yeah, and it was in China so the driver was on this side,
erm, and I remember Roger, you know, he was like,
"You know, I make more money in a one-night expo
than Rod Laver made in this entire career,
we should do something to honour him."
And then, Roger then started whipping out all this information
about his stats and what he did.
And you know, a few months later, we were brainstorming,
and it was brought up, why not something like the Ryder Cup of tennis?
And I was like, "Well, I mean I have a name for it,
Roger wants to do something to honour Rod Laver and his contemporaries,"
and sure enough, the Laver Cup was born in name right there.
[Federer] I want it to feel like a celebration.
I want it to be fun, you know, to be honest, and erm...
I think it's a lot about the fans here for me as well.
Just reconnecting with them.
That was one point when I knew that it was okay to hang up the career and stuff,
where could we do it and obviously London has a special place in my heart
because of Wimbledon, of course.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] Wow, this is the winner of the boys here.
Lederer from Switzerland. We'll be seeing him again.
[commentator] Roger Federer, Wimbledon champion.
You better used to that.
[crowd cheering]
[Federer] I've been coming here for 20, 25 years now,
loads of fans here, a lot of friends as well.
By chance it happens that the Laver Cup is now here in London.
So I just felt it would be quite appropriate
to retire in a city like London.
Great memories.
I had some wonderful matches here against the best players in the world,
so, erm, it's nice to be back.
[soft piano music playing]
Busy day today, we got some photo shoot interviews to do.
A lot of press as well, which is going to be quite interesting for me
to face them for the first time since the news.
And then practice as well, so let's go.
Yeah, Laver Cup is going to be my last sort of active tournament,
but I will keep on playing with my children, with my friends,
so I'm really looking forward to that as well in the future.
I will still be seen. I love this game
and I will want to stay involved in some shape or form.
I'll try to come back again, come on, guys.
I won't do... I won't do a Björn Borg.
[camera shutters clicking]
[man speaking in French] We will give you a question or statement,
- you tell us if you agree or disagree? - Okay. Okay.
[Federer, in English] This was an interesting interview.
They asked me to finish all the sentences like, is it true...?
[in French] If Nadal was right-handed, you would have won more Grand Slams?
I would say no.
[in English] It played out the way it did.
[interviewer] Mm-hm. [chuckles]
Hypothetical questions are really, really tricky. [chuckles]
I'm old enough now to call it a day and I feel really good about it.
Aw! The door got me good.
I feel like I'm playing catch-up the whole day.
[interviewer] If you could have a conversation with your 18-year-old-self
about what was to come, what might you say?
Oh, er, I would tell him, "Get ready for something special."
[laughs] "It's going to be good."
[Djokovic] Hey, how are you?
- [man] Good, how are you? - Very good, thank you.
- [man] Happy to be in London? - Great to be here.
Very nice.
What do think this week is going to be like?
Exciting, full of, I'm sure,
emotional moments on and off the court.
Particularly for Roger, so it's exciting,
it's great to be here and probably once in a lifetime
to be in a team along with, er, Rafael, Roger, and Andy,
you know, three of my biggest rivals.
I think it's going to be really special getting to be on a team with him
and you know, being around Roger and Novak again,
for the last time, like, they've all been a huge part of my career, and...
...with everything that's gone on in the last few years
with various injuries and stuff and everyone getting older,
there's hardly been any tournaments where we've been sort of together
at the same event.
So I'm really looking forward to it.
[Federer] Novak, I guess he was the party crasher of Rafa and Roger fans.
There was a lot of Rafa Roger love there,
so when Novak came, probably a lot of people saying, like,
"We don't need a third guy.
We're happy with Roger and Rafa."
He got to the top in a different way.
I got to the top sort of alone and Novak came up through me and Rafa.
He had to really second-guess himself how to get there,
and so he had to get really focused.
[crowd cheering]
I played him, I believe, in Monaco the very first time
and I walked off the court and thought like, "Yeah, he's okay."
Even though there was some hype around him,
I wasn't really fully convinced.
And I think I didn't give Novak the respect he deserved
because of his technical flaws.
I felt like Novak had a very extreme forehand grip,
and his backhand for me wasn't as fluid as it is nowadays.
But then he ironed those things out super well,
and he became an unbelievable monster of a player.
The Federer fans in the beginning didn't really like him
because they just thought, well, Roger's, like, a bit more easy,
you know, he does it with ease.
Then Novak came in with his strong personality and that unbelievable grit,
and wanting to win at all costs.
I know that this was something and I was criticised a lot heavily.
Why wouldn't I fight more when losing?
I didn't quite understand what that meant.
Do I have to grunt? Do I have to sweat more?
Do I have to shout more? Do I have to be more aggressive towards my opponents?
What is it?
I tried, but it was all an act. I'm not like that.
It's not my personality.
For some of the players, it's maybe easier to have that,
it's, like, more ingrained in their DNA.
I think also Novak was triggered by the relationship with the fans.
I think that deep focus maybe scared some people away.
[interviewer] Do you block it out or can you kind of repurpose it
and channel it into yourself?
Is it fun in a way to sort of, you know...
[Djokovic] That's a good question
because you know, at times, you just try to ignore it
which is quite hard.
I like to, you know, transmutate it in a way.
So when the crowd is chanting "Roger," I hear "Novak," so that's...
[laughter]
[Federer] I think he's been a little bit misunderstood.
I look past the media and I see at the end the man he is
and if I take away his game, who is he, what are his values?
I know, I can feel he cares very deeply about his family.
So we have similar values.
When he signed up to play the Laver Cup,
he could have always still pulled out once he heard I was going to retire,
but he didn't, so I really appreciate that.
[indistinct conversation]
Novak, thank you for coming.
- It means a lot to all of us, thank you. - Of course, thank you.
It looks great. Looks stunning.
A little more work to do but hopefully it will be pretty good by Friday.
It's a fitting facility and arena for this kind of event.
And how is the court playing? Slow, fast, medium?
We were just discussing, you know, I think the ball stays quite low.
I mean, particularly when you play slice, erm,
it's kind of both, I think.
You know, I think there's a guy whose game is really fitting for this surface,
- I think you know him pretty well. - I do.
I don't think that guy is gonna contribute too many points this weekend.
[Federer] Sorry.
Nice to see you.
How is everything? You okay?
Nice to see you here.
Goran, all good?
All good, you?
Better.
It's a tough...
Tough few weeks but it feels fine.
I'm ready. Ready to be with you on your side. [laughs]
Pleasure to be on the team, man.
See you soon.
- You okay? - How's everything?
- Yeah, we're... thank you. You too? - [Murray] Yeah.
- All good. - Yeah?
Looking forward to the next few days, it's going to be great.
- Thanks for being here. It means a lot. - How are you feeling?
- [Federer] Better. - Yeah?
It's been...
- rocky. - Yeah?
- Emotional, but we'll talk about it. - Yeah. Yeah. All right then.
Have a good practice.
[reflective music playing]
[inaudible conversation]
- There he is. - Good to see you.
- How's everything? Okay? - Yeah, great.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
Happ... Happy days and commiserations.
Thank you, thank you.
- Retirement will be good. Huh? - Yeah. Yeah.
- I just... Yeah. Right. - We can spend more time together, maybe.
- Yeah, that was... - Oh, great.
If you're the best in your era, and he's certainly that.
That's the thing that I think you'll look at when he's retired.
[reflective music continues]
[crowd cheering]
[McEnroe] Obviously losing someone of Roger's magnitude will be tough.
The sport goes on. No individual is bigger than the sport.
Roger would probably be as close as they come to being that person.
First of all, he's one of the greatest,
if not the greatest player that ever lived,
so let's start with that.
Total class act.
Loved the game more than perhaps anyone else I've ever seen.
The most beautiful player I've ever seen play tennis.
A Baryshnikov on the tennis court.
[epic music playing]
[Federer] I guess tennis, as it's not a contact sport,
it's a very interesting sport, as we almost touch each other
through the tennis ball.
You can feel the force of your opponent with its spin or the power.
How much he grunts on the shot.
That's a message, I guess, as well.
And then I guess it's also very much like a chess match
because you start anticipating and predicting what's going to happen,
and you get your favourite patterns.
So does your opponent. So it's always a battle of who gets the pattern his way.
I would take a lot of joy in trying to beat my opponent at his game.
If he liked to play long rallies, I'd say like, "Okay, let's do long rallies,"
and I'll beat you at that and then you have nothing else.
If he came to the net a lot, then I would say, "Okay, I'll also come to the net,
and I'll beat you at that, too."
So it's very much a psychological chess match,
but in a physical version.
[crowd cheering]
Hello.
[reporter] Roger, what do you think Reto Schmidli
to whom you lost your first junior match, 6-0, 6-0
would make of your career today?
I mean, honestly, I think any junior
er, that probably played against me back in the day,
we would have never thought that, er,
I was going to be sitting here at 41 having my final press conference.
Because you do not think that far, you know, in, er...
[sighs] When you have the vision of being a champion,
you see yourself winning one tournament, or maybe becoming world number one,
but not many, many times in a row and staying there for as long as I did.
I always look to, you know, the Michael Schumachers, Tiger Woods,
all the other guys who stayed there for so long at the very top
that I didn't understand how they did it.
Next thing you know, it's like you're part of that group
and, er, it's been erm, it's been a great feeling. Yeah.
[reporter] Hi, Roger. ESPN.com.
Erm, from watching all your interviews over the last day or so,
and reading everything you said, and again today,
it seems like you're handling it all very well, and you've accepted it.
Are you surprised how well you accepted it?
Er, yes, erm, I was, er, in a very, erm,
I guess worried, scared place to face, er, the music.
The... The media, the fans, and everything, and erm,
I just wanted to let, erm, the fans know I won't be a ghost.
You know, that, erm...
It's funny, you know, I talked about Björn Borg just before,
I don't think he returned to Wimbledon for 25 years.
That, in a way, hurts, you know, every tennis fan, erm...
Totally acceptable, his life, his reasons, you know, but...
Erm, I don't think I'll be that guy, you know, and, erm...
I feel that tennis has given me too much, I've been around the game for too long.
So, you'll see me again, you know, and not just never again.
- [applause] - Thank you.
See you soon.
[Federer] Björn Borg, he's always been a hero of mine.
I always call him the king, will always call him the king.
He's the one that opened the door for us players
to be more than just tennis players.
I guess to be able to be on the cover of magazines,
to be a brand ambassador.
Those were made for models, you know, and not for athletes,
and I think he's the one that broke that barrier down.
Funnily enough, he retired at 26, 27, really, really early,
and I'm on the other spectrum, retiring super late.
Björn used to be never around,
we very rarely saw him.
So he was this icon, but he was untouchable.
- [Borg] The king is coming. - How's everything?
[Federer] And how ironic is it that then, you know, fast-forward years,
I didn't know about the Laver Cup happening,
that we spent all these moments together.
So, good day?
Busy again, shit.
It doesn't stop,
but, er, no...
- [Borg] Did you play some today? - I played quickly.
- It was good to move around a little bit. - Yeah.
I wasn't planning to hit and then I said, "Okay, you know what."
And it's funny, like, when you play three times
the same court again, you know how you start finding that rhythm.
- I have that... - Yeah, yeah, I have, too.
It's been a long time since I played three times
on the same court in a row, in a nice surrounding, you know? But...
Yeah, it was good. Played...
I have a funny story with Björn as well
was when I beat Sampras at Wimbledon back in 2001.
Sampras was going for his record sixth Wimbledon in a row.
- [crowd cheering wildly] - [commentator] He's done it.
The champion is out!
[Federer] My agent said, "Hey, look I've somebody on the phone with you
who wants to talk to you," and it was Björn.
And Björn told me, "Roger, I just wanted to let you know,
thank you so much for protecting my record,"
because he had won five in a row as well, like Pete did.
And I was, like, "Oh, well, yeah. I mean, you're welcome.
I didn't do it because of you, but, yeah."
And he goes, "I owe you big time," he told me,
and I'm, like, "No, you don't, but okay, thank you very much."
What he did for tennis is unbelievable.
He promote tennis in a way that no one ever did.
I've been watching him for so many years
and he's kind of, erm, an artist on the court,
he could do anything with a tennis racket.
This is a big thing that he's stepping away from tennis.
I'm sure he will miss it in a way,
but he probably will be still involved with tennis
so his preparation is so much better than my preparation was
when I stepped away from the game.
[indistinct conversation]
- How's everything? - Sorry for being late.
You're not late, it's Matteo.
Matteo is not here. You're totally safe.
I didn't even have a slight doubt that he would be last.
Because he's got to look the best.
I just said that he might not even know that this is happening.
No, because I met...
About 15 minutes ago, I was coming down
and I met Björn on the floor, and he's like...
"You have the wrong shirt."
- Don't... You have... - We all have different shirts.
- Yeah. - Yeah, this is the one for a tuxedo.
- Yeah, this one. Yeah. - [Tsitsipas] It's wrong?
- Yeah. - [Tsitsipas] It's wrong?
But nobody told you it's not wrong.
- [Tsitsipas] Okay. - Right on.
[Tsitsipas] It's supposed to be like that?
- No. - [Djokovic] No. [laughing]
It's supposed to be like this.
This is like the suit shirt.
And this one is like, the double... See the double here,
- it's for the tuxedo. - [Tsitsipas] Got it.
[Tsitsipas] You seem to know your stuff.
- I didn't, because Björn told me... - Björn...
...a few minutes ago in front of the others, so...
- I'm ****ing changing now. - [laughter]
[Federer] Today, it's just fascinating to see all the other players around.
Future great players of the game.
This is their moment.
It'll be interesting to see how much more we will see each other in the future,
but, er, I will miss this.
I will miss the game of tennis.
I guess you could almost call it a bit of grieving, you know?
It's been a great, erm, life school for me
and I've always been really thankful to everything it taught me.
But, er, as professional athletes, we all know we're on borrowed time.
And it can be hard to deal with that, you know?
The fans' dream seems to be for you to play with Rafa.
- Here? - Feels like it's your wish as well.
Yes. I mean, I would love that of course,
but I know that Rafa's arriving tomorrow morning
so I guess, er, once...
That's already number one, he needs to be here for this to happen.
So... But we have to talk about it, maybe tonight at some point,
or in the latest tomorrow morning. Of course, we have to make a decision.
[reflective music playing]
- [man] Rafa. - [woman] Rafa!
[Nadal speaks Spanish]
[Federer] I told Rafa the news ten days ahead of time.
It's tricky times for him at the moment, too.
He's becoming a dad for the first time,
but I just wanted to let him know that I would love to play
one more doubles with him and I'm retiring.
And the moment I said that to him, he's like, "I am going to be there 100%."
[Nadal] Fifteen minutes conversation, he explained me everything
and I held it when we were talking,
but I had some tears on my eyes, honestly, after the conversation.
When you see somebody that has been part... a very important part of my life,
decide to retire, you know it's a... it's a tough moment.
When I finished the call, that moment,
it starts some memories and it was difficult to hold emotions.
So, Rafa, do you know what you're gonna give me for Christmas yet?
You know what? I'm gonna come to Switzerland
and play an exhibition match for your foundation.
[all laughing]
So, Rafa, do you... [laughing]
He looks at me... Oh, God. Okay.
- So, Rafa... [laughing] - [all laughing]
You know what you're gonna give me for Christmas yet or...
You know what, I'm gonna play an exhibition...
[all laughing]
[man speaking indistinctly]
Oh, no.
[Federer] I think the world is a bit puzzled sometimes
how we can be good friends.
But I think it's possible to play it tough and fair,
but yet on the side be friendly.
When he hit the tour, you could feel that there was something really special there.
He was going to win Slams, we knew it.
I was at the top at the time, so for him to respect me
was a very natural, normal thing.
And for me, I always thought it's very nice to support young guys coming through,
so I think the relationship kicked off on a very friendly manner.
And then comes obviously the time where the rivalry starts kicking in.
I lost my first match against him
and in the first instance, it was, like, "I don't want to have this guy here."
I like being at the top alone.
So I have to really find a way and dig deeper and look into myself,
saying, like, "Okay, how am I going to deal with this now"
because it was a bit of a mind-bender.
I just couldn't quite figure him out and unlock him.
I remember him as a young boy being very shy,
struggled to give you the eye contact, you know and all that.
And he always said, "Oh, whatever Roger wants, I'm happy with that."
And then as time went by he became a very strong personality,
more confident as well and wanted his own ways, which I was happy to see.
[Nadal] In this world, it's easier to improve
when you have positive examples in front,
you know, and I had these in Roger.
I missed him the last couple of years on the tour,
and for the rest of the time that I'm gonna be on tour,
I will miss him.
[host] Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to Team Europe.
And I'm gonna start with Rafa.
You've played under a lot of pressure.
What's the pressure going to be like
coming out tomorrow in Roger's last match?
Well, hello, everyone.
Well, different kind of pressure, I think, er,
after all the... yeah, all the amazing things
that we shared together on and off court.
To be part of this historic moment, er,
is going to be something, erm, yeah, amazing, unforgettable for me.
I saw him playing on TV before I arrived on tour.
I saw him having success on TV
and then I was able to create an amazing rivalry together, erm...
And tomorrow gonna be a special thing,
I think very difficult, especially for Roger, without a doubt, but...
For me too, I know at the end, er,
you know, the most important player in my tennis career
is leaving and, erm,
to be on court, having Roger next to me
one more time, will be something that, er, I am very looking forward
so, just very happy for that.
[reporter] Question to Rafa, Novak and Andy,
erm, when you heard the announcement of the retirement of Roger,
did you have a minute where you thought about your own retirement?
Did it change something in the way you see the rest of your career?
You want me to start? Well, erm,
I don't need to, to, to listen this news to know that, er,
the end is closer.
[chuckles] The normal cycle of life
is this, no?
Some... Some people leaves and others need to come,
and in this particular case, it's, er, probably, er,
one of the most, if not the most important player
in the history of this sport that is leaving.
So it's true that when first he's leaving, er,
yeah, in your mind, you miss something, no? And, er...
In a personal way, yeah, I've been... Very, very sad news and a tough day.
[poignant music playing]
[Djokovic] You know, this is probably the most special moment
that we all will experience.
Most of us have watched and admired
Roger's success and achievements,
you know, before coming on the tour.
You know, at the beginning of my career,
I was losing most of the matches against Roger and Rafa
and, you know, they have contributed a lot to the player I am today.
You know we always wanted to win against each other.
We always wanted to be better than each other
and, er... but as Rafa said, you know, on a personal level, of course,
it's, you know, it's a sad day for tennis,
but just sport in general,
but, you know, Roger's legacy will live forever, that's for sure.
I mean, as you get older as athletes
and with some of the physical issues
you... yeah, you do think about
when should you stop and when is the right moment
and how would you like it to be.
To me, yeah, I think it feels right, like,
seeing him and Rafa on the same side of the net together,
and finishing their careers as a team.
I don't think that there's many better ways to go out than like this.
Maybe one thing I would like to add.
I... I always felt...
Or sitting here, it feels good that I go first from the guys.
Just feels right.
[subdued laughter]
[woman] Okay, thank you very much, everybody.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
[Federer] That was a heavy press conference for me.
I wanted to say more, but I couldn't
because I was going to get too emotional.
And I had done all these presses alone
and I got through them well, and then all of a sudden,
feeling the weight of, you know, Novak, Andy, Rafa, Björn, everybody in the room.
It was very touching for me.
I was really sitting there and taking it all in
and I could just, you know, feel the end coming closer
and realising the curtain's about to close on me.
It's getting harder now. The stress is unbelievable.
I'm about to shit my pants soon.
No seriously, now I'm really starting to feel stressed.
[Federer] I guess what I wanted to say at the press conference
was that I'm just so happy I can go first
because I am five or six years older than the guys.
And so for me to go out first felt correct and right
and they should now have a career without me,
you know, because I had a career without them as well.
- Rafael. - [man] Rafa is on the back.
[Federer] And I really thought, in all honesty,
that all of a sudden Rafa was gonna retire
after the Australian Open this year, or especially the French Open.
[Nadal] I always thought that I'm going to be the first of the three or four
because of all the problems that I had during all my career in terms of injuries.
But, erm, we are able to stay here
and, er, in some way, he's the older.
I'm sad what happened to him with the knee, honestly,
it's a shame, and it's tough to accept.
He worked so much to try to get back, but it was not possible.
But you know, on the other hand, his legacy gonna stay
in the world of sport forever.
We're never going to see again any player with that flow,
with that perfection, that elegance ever.
- Do you grunt much or no? - [Berrettini] Not really.
Rafa does a really good grunt.
[Nadal] I used to do it more.
The brother of Seb Korda, too.
What I like is the, kind of, nothing, nothing. [yells]
You're, like, "What happened? What happened?"
"Did I miss something." You're like, "Did I miss something?" You know?
Some players, they do it so late.
- You had that issue at Wimbledon. - With Lorenzo.
[grunting]
[crowd jeering]
[booing]
[Nadal] I know I was tough on him in that moment.
But he did it on purpose.
- 100 percent. - No, no, no, no.
He doesn't do it on purpose.
For me, yes.
He does it all the time. I know him since we were kids.
But he was not doing it during the match,
and then at the wrong moments, he returns...
- [yells] - [laughing]
Björn is like, "What are you talking about?"
[indistinct chatter]
He doesn't do it to disturb, he does it
because he's... when he's feeling pumped...
[Federer] It's been so much fun interacting with the guys
in the locker room.
It has kept me young.
I feel, nowadays, there's a lot of respect between the younger generation
and I feel that's come especially through me and Rafa,
that we can totally coexist in the locker room.
And nowadays, honestly, the locker rooms
are more of a fun place than they've ever been.
I've had all day to think about my first return being a shank.
[laughing]
A winner.
No, we don't want to be a winner. Otherwise, I have to think comeback.
So you want to shank.
You know, okay it's the right decision.
Otherwise, you will play Saturday and Sunday too.
Yeah, exactly.
I'd rather support the team than play.
- How are you feeling? - I'm okay, absolutely.
[poignant music playing]
[mock grunting]
[all clamouring]
[indistinct chatter]
No, no, no, I think I hit it too much on the side.
[upbeat music playing]
[applause]
[Murray] Hi, everyone. I hope you're doing well.
I know I don't sound it, but I'm very excited to be here.
[crowd laughing]
The player that I'm going to welcome up onto stage, he loves to eat plants.
He celebrates all of his Grand Slam victories
by going wild on vegetable smoothies.
He's gluten-free. It's Novak Djokovic.
[crowd cheering]
Good evening, everyone, er...
I have the honour to introduce someone whose favourite breakfast is clay.
- Erm, he, erm... - [laughter]
...never shares that breakfast with anybody.
Ladies and gentlemen, the legend, Rafael Nadal.
[applause]
Well, hello. Good evening, everyone, er...
And well, I have to probably the toughest job tonight,
that I have to introduce
probably, er, one of the most iconic athletes ever.
If we talk about, erm, the perfection on the tennis court,
probably it's him.
Let's enjoy this moment. Let's celebrate that he had an amazing career.
So please, Roger Federer.
[cheering and applause]
Thank you very much.
[applause continues]
[Federer] We're making a lot of jokes.
We've got to get serious tomorrow for one last time, please.
I'll be a fan mostly,
but in the spotlight tomorrow night and I'll try my very best.
- Thank you. - Hello.
- Hey. - Severin.
- Roger. - Pleasure to meet you.
Thank you.
[Severin in fake German accent] Let's put ze seatbelt on, ja?
[Federer] Ja, we're gonna do it now.
[speaking German]
[Severin] Let's take a picture for your wife.
No, not the other... No, it's the other button. Selfie king.
[laughing]
[Severin] That's really a bad one, even for my level, it's a bad one.
[Federer] Yeah, but this is your level.
I don't want to say what a pity it is, you know, to retire,
but just to go... it's the right thing obviously, but, er,
I thought until this morning I had emotions in check,
but I can feel it coming up, so...
They would like to see me cry to some extent.
Because I think they know how much I care, they know me, the people know me,
the fans even know me of course, over the years.
They know how often I have cried.
So, er...
But, erm...
So far I've been solid.
But I can...
Yeah. I don't know, tomorrow how it's going to be.
[poignant music playing]
[woman] We've come all the way from Kenya.
- To say goodbye to Roger. - To say goodbye to Roger.
- He will be surely missed. - Yeah. Missed.
[woman 2] Please don't stop playing.
Please just keep on playing. Please just don't stop.
[woman 3] We think you're the most wonderful human being,
there's just never going to be anyone like you, you know,
please just stay in touch from us tennis fans,
we want to know what you're doing next.
[woman] He's coming! He's coming!
[crowd clamouring]
[propulsive electronic music playing]
[inaudible conversation]
[music continues]
He thinks after this, he won't have an opportunity to do anything ever again.
He thinks this is the end of everything. Little does he know.
[both chuckling]
[Severin] But that's what they say...
Sports people die twice.
It's tough.
[propulsive electronic music playing]
[Federer] Of course, I will miss a lot of things.
The little moments, you know?
I love tying my shoes, getting ready, putting the bandanna on
and saying, "Okay, look in the mirror, like, okay, are we ready for this? Yeah.
Okay, let's go."
[music continues]
This is my nostalgic side.
I used to use them when I was young.
These, er, little guys here.
I still use them to this day.
Used to save the string from breaking.
I always thought this gives me a little more spin.
Because they're square...
rough.
Don't know if I was right.
[haunting music playing]
[announcer] Representing Team Europe, please welcome Roger Federer
and Rafael Nadal with captain, Björn Borg.
[poignant music playing]
[umpire] Rafael Nadal to serve.
Play!
[grunts]
- [umpire] Game Team Europe. - [crowd cheering]
[commentator] Every shot that touches his racket
will be cheered to the rafters and rightly so.
- [crowd gasps] - [commentator] That goes through the net.
[umpire speaks indistinctly]
[commentator] I don't think I've ever seen that before.
- [crowd cheering] - Game, first set, Team Europe.
[commentator] All the memorable moments that Federer produces,
his best tennis on the biggest of points.
[commentator] Roger was just a little static
and a little late to the volley.
[indistinct chatter]
[crowd gasps]
[scattered applause]
[shouts of encouragement]
No!
[poignant music playing]
[crowd gasping]
[commentator] And it's set point for Team World.
[commentator] Yeah, that one was a real test for Federer's knee.
[umpire] Second set, team World.
[commentator] It's one set all. Match tie-break.
[commentator] If you're just joining us in the Laver Cup for the very first time,
it's a 10-point match tiebreaker instead of a full third set.
Thank you, guys.
Can I have one more, thank you.
Now I'm too tired to get up and get it.
[commentator] It would be wonderful if he finishes with a win.
[umpire] Next tie-break.
Team World to serve.
- [Nadal] Come on! - [crowd cheering]
[commentator] Here we go.
The final moments of Roger Federer's career.
[commentator] Oh! What a pickup.
[crowd cheering wildly]
[commentator] This may well be the last ace
that we ever see Roger Federer hit.
[umpire] Six all.
[commentator] Just too good.
[umpire] Seven, six, Team World.
[commentator] Oh! Bit of Federer magic!
And there's a reaction that we've seen so many times before.
[dramatic music building]
[crowd cheering wildly]
[umpire] Eight all.
[commentator] Rolling back the years.
[crowd cheering wildly]
[poignant music playing]
[commentator] Well, the scriptwriter gave Federer the serve on match point
in his last ever match.
The fairytale ending for Federer's career.
What must he be thinking?
[crowd chanting]
[umpire] Nine, eight, Team Europe.
[crowd gasping]
[commentator] Nothing is scripted henceforth.
[crowd gasping]
[umpire] Ten, nine, Team World.
[commentator] So from match point up Team Europe, match point down.
[umpire] Game, set and match, Team World.
[commentator] Well, in an era of tennis kings
its founding father says farewell.
As we say goodbye to Roger Federer, the finest we've ever seen.
[sombre music playing]
[crowd continues cheering]
[Federer] I think it definitely hit me.
Maybe I was gonna become emotional at the very end.
Even though I did feel I was solid,
you know, through the interviews and everything.
Even through the game, I was super relaxed.
Then I don't know, at the end, it was just... [exhales]
It's like, okay, I mean, this is it, and...
You know, kind of, what happens next... [sobbing]
[crowd cheering]
Just, I guess seeing all the other players, that was hard.
It was so emotional.
Their whole career, I've been there.
Andy, you know, I think he saw his career flash in front of his eyes.
Novak, I told him things also at the very end,
they were very personal, you know,
and that maybe triggered something with him as well.
And then, I think there's really two things only
I realised that would trigger me,
and that was Mirka and then the Rafa angle.
[Nadal] A lot of emotions, a lot of memories.
The feeling before a Grand Slam final against Roger, it's different.
Different atmosphere, different kind of pressure.
I mean... to know that I will not have this feeling again
for the rest of my life, it's something that, er... it's painful.
Even if we have a great rivalry on court,
we were able to have a very good friendship outside.
And that's something very difficult to find in this very competitive world.
I think I can feel that too, you know?
That it is very unique.
Getting along so well and having the respect for one another.
It's definitely special, to say the least.
I guess we both went through a lot, you know, in our own ways,
that we both have been injured a lot, you know, so...
Obviously, we can both relate,
and I'm happy we made it to the end, you know?
[crowd cheering]
[anchor] It's been an amazing ride, it's been incredible to watch
this journey that you've been on.
It started as a boy playing tennis.
You turned into a junior champion, then a world champion,
and then you became a sporting icon.
What has that journey been like for you?
It was never supposed to be that way, erm,
it's just, I was happy to play tennis and spend time with my friends, really.
And it'll end here, so it's been a perfect journey,
I would do it all over again.
[crowd applauding and cheering]
Er, everybody's here tonight from my family.
The girls, the boys. My wife's been so supportive.
And... [sobbing]
[applause]
She could've 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.
[applause]
Erm...
Yeah, I think I will miss... [laughs]
[voice breaking] I will miss seeing him play tennis.
Just because he plays so gracefully and so incredible and I think, erm,
people will miss the same, yeah.
I’m just so happy to live with him and be with him.
So yeah, I'm gonna always be there for him,
and yeah, so excited that I found him in my life.
[poignant music playing]
[Federer] I guess seeing all the family, it was obviously very emotional.
I never really wanted them to be on court,
to be front and centre.
But you know, it was perfect.
[cheering and applause]
[crowd chanting] Roger! Roger! Roger! Roger!
[Federer] Thank you, fellas.
My God. I thought I was not going to cry.
[all laughing]
[indistinct chatter]
[grunting]
Okay. Let's stop.
Finish with this shit.
[laughing]
Imagine if we would have won the doubles.
- [laughing] - ****ing...
****ing [indistinct].
Oh, my God.
Thank you. Really special moment.
I can't thank you enough for being here.
[man] Thank you.
I didn't know where to say goodbye. How, when, what?
At one point I thought, can I just say goodbye and not be seen?
I didn't know if I could play. I was on vacation and I could not play at all.
I had so much knee pain.
I can't believe I was able to get through the match.
It's been fantastic, so thank you.
I know you guys have your own career and family and everything.
I didn't mean to take any moment from you guys.
[laughing]
And I'm happy we have two more days together.
I'll be the pain in the arse that I am.
We'll have a good time.
And I'll cheer you guys on.
I want a fist bump on every ****ing point.
We'll have a good time. We'll have a good party.
[Federer] It's been an incredible 12 days.
I think I was in a more scared place 12 days ago, erm,
but in a very, erm, nice place right now.
Erm, knowing it's all done. We can fly home.
I can go back to being a dad now, I'm looking forward to that.
- [daughter] Hello. - Hi.
How are you? Feeling okay?
[Mirka] I didn't even see you. You're back.
- How are you? - Good, good.
- Tired. - Good.
- But happy. - [Mirka] Okay.
- Erm. - [Mirka] We're going down.
[Federer] I'm happy that people feel like they will miss me,
and that I had a profound big impact on the game.
I change and I see you upstairs at 8:30...
Okay, perfect. Okay.
Okay.
[Federer] Yes, it's painful, yes, it's hard, but I am happy.
I'm just so content, and I'm just happy it all worked out
even better than I thought it was going to be.
What amazing evening, and I think we were all very lucky to have lived through it
and have cried all together with sixteen and a half thousand people.
That was truly unique.
[uplifting music playing]
[upbeat music playing]
[music fades]