Original subtitles

(static buzzes)

- [Narrator] Here is the patch of grass

where Roger Federer has made so much history.

And it started right there.

Wimbledon is the world's oldest tournament,

and the most prestigious of the four Grand Slams.

The one that every player wants to win.

The club's honor board is full of illustrious names.

And in 1998, another emerged.

Roger Federer.

When he won the Junior Wimbledon title at 17 years old,

he never imagined the success that would follow.

[Announcer] Roger Federer!

[Announcer 2] What?

[Announcer] Roger Federer!

Wait a minute!

Whoa, whoa!

- It is truly amazing what I'm able to live, actually.

This life I'm living is is quite extraordinary,

so I'm very thankful for that,

and I hope it doesn't end here.

- [Speaker] Play speaks for itself, but to me,

the most important thing that he's been able

to do it for so long, it's his passion for the game.

- Well, I was hoping that something magical

would happen at some stage.

Not this magnitude.

I don't think you can think this far.

And if you told the people that,

"I'm coming to play Wimbledon for the next 20 years,

I'm gonna win eight."

They're gonna go like, "Yeah, right, whatever."

You know?

Like little Swiss kid, like, he's lost his mind, you know?

- Number one fan, along with millions of other people.

And I just loved the way he played, the creativity he had,

the quietness on the court, you know?

His footwork was so sublime.

- [Narrator] In 2003, the former ballboy

and Junior Champion of 1998

won his first Grand Slam title at the British Stadium,

with a masterclass victory

over giant Australian, Mark Philippoussis.

And the rest is history.

- [Andy] What he's achieved in the sport's incredible.

And he has inspired so many

tennis players around the world.

- [Narrator] His journey to the top of the men's game

is the one of a true champion,

in every sense of the word.

It's a huge, huge bonus

still to be playing tennis at this level.

My God, it's totally unexpected.

(somber violin music)

- [Narrator] The 15th of September 2022

was a sad day for sports.

(somber violin music)

Roger Federer announced his retirement at 41 years old,

marking the end of one of

the greatest ever sporting careers.

- It's been also a tough decision,

but at the same time,

also one that I could see coming for a number of years now.

I'm old enough as it is, and you know,

you come to crossroads in life sometimes,

and for me, I knew I was on thin ice for a while,

and you hope it gets better, and it really didn't.

And then at one point, I just said,

"Okay, it's good. We've done well.

Last few years have been hard enough,

and I've enjoyed myself thoroughly."

And it's the moment to do it, so, that was it.

- He's someone that I watched as a kid growing up,

and was fortunate to get the opportunity to play against.

- Probably the most popular guy on the tour.

I mean, he has inspired

so many tennis players around the world,

both male and female.

And as Andy said, you know,

this weekend probably is all about the celebration

of his career.

- We'll miss him, but I'm sure we'll see him around.

He's doing the best for his body,

but obviously the fans will miss him.

- His behavior inside and outside the court, it's amazing,

and the movements and the technique,

and for me, it's like the best ever.

- Icon of the sport, and if I could sum him up,

I would say he's a class act on and off the court.

He's won so many times,

but he's a great person, great personality.

(dramatic violin music)

[Narrator] At 36 years old,

Federer broke an all time record,

and shook the tennis world when he became the first man

to win an astonishing 20 Grand Slam titles,

after winning his sixth Australian Open in 2018

with a five set victory over Marin Cilic.

(dramatic violin music)

For those who were born to see Federer in his glory days,

it might seem that tennis will never be the same

after he retired.

The player kept the spirit of the game

alive and flourishing all these years,

with impeccable speed, undefeated technique,

and an exceptional all-around game,

he became one of the most widely known names

in the world of tennis.

But how did an ordinary ballboy

become one of the most loved faces in sports today?

(dramatic violin music)

It all started on the tennis courts

of the city of Basel, Switzerland.

Roger Federer was born on August 8th, 1981,

in Basel, Switzerland,

to Swiss father Robert Federer

and South African mother, Lynette Federer.

His mother was of Dutch and French ancestry.

His parents exposed him to tennis when he was a toddler,

and he played his first tournament at eight years old.

In his early years,

Federer was just an ordinary boy

who liked to have fun on the court during training.

But he was talented.

In the matches, he was eager,

and dreamed of becoming the number one in the world.

It soon became clear that the boy and the racket

were made for each other.

At 11, he ended up among the top three junior tennis players

all over Switzerland,

and as he grew up, so did his ambition.

He decided that tennis would become his destiny.

- At 12 years old, I had to sort of take a decision,

soccer or tennis,

and it was actually quite easy, to be honest.

I was successful in soccer,

but it doesn't go at the pace as tennis goes.

Soccer takes many more years, and tennis,

I liked the fact that I was the one to blame if I lost.

In soccer, I was always kind of the bad loser,

Sometimes say, "The goalie was so bad today,

I can't believe we lost."

You know?

And just like, that's not fair.

I need to blame myself if I lost.

And then of course, I chose tennis.

You know, the more I lost, the more I cried,

and I thought the world was gonna end.

But I do love team competition.

- [Narrator] At 14 years old, fed moved out of home.

By then, he was training for several hours,

participating in different tournaments,

and getting into fitness.

This paid off.

He became Switzerland's Junior Champion,

and won a chance to train

at the National Swiss Tennis Center.

Something young tennis players can only dream of.

At 16, he dropped out of school,

and decided to risk everything on tennis.

In 1998, Federer made his professional debut,

but sadly ended up losing his first ever match.

However, this did not dampen the young man's spirit.

That same year, the 16 year old from Switzerland

became Wimbledon's Junior Champion,

following in the footsteps of Bjorn Borg, and Pat Cash,

both winners of Junior Wimbledon.

For those who knew him best,

it became clear that they were witnessing

a legend in the making.

Federer's love affair with Wimbledon

began with that Junior title.

In 1999, Federer made his Davis Cup debut against Italy,

leading Switzerland to its only Davis Cup title.

He became the youngest tennis player, at 18 years old,

to end the year among the world's top 100,

finishing that season at number 64.

- Look, I was a very different type of character

on the tennis court 10-15 years ago.

I had quite a transformation from a screaming,

racket throwing, swearing kind of brat

on the tennis court

to this calm guy you know today.

It's very strange how I've been able to put the hammer down

at one point in my career, and just say "That's enough."

I can't stand it watching me throwing rackets

and embarrass myself in front of thousands of people

in a live stadium,

so I tried to change.

Today, when the young guys come up,

I have to say, I'm so impressed how well they behave.

There's hardly any racket throwing going on anymore.

Nobody is as moody as I used to be.

So, in a way, I'm very happy I was that way back then.

- [Interviewer] Do you look back now and think,

"Gosh, what was I doing?"

- Yes, but at the same time, I'm happy I did that.

Because I don't have the urge today

to act the way I used to.

I'm just totally relaxed,

missing the easiest of overheads,

and just turning around, and go like,

"You know what?

I just won't miss it next time, it's fine."

- [Narrator] In 2001, he caused one of the biggest upsets

in Wimbledon history.

In the fourth round,

he defeated four time defending champion, Pete Sampras,

ending the American's unbeaten run

of 31 matches at Wimbledon.

Then, tennis quickly went into overdrive

for the upcoming tennis star.

(lighthearted piano music)

Without ever imitating the techniques

of those who came before him,

he managed to take what he could from the champions,

like Sampras and Stefan Edberg.

The gifted shot maker known for his forehand

found his own identity.

He did it his way, and he did it right.

(calming piano music)

It was long before his major singles win

at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney,

that Federer first met Mirka Vavrincová,

another tennis player,

and the woman who would become his girlfriend,

wife, and mother of their children.

Mirka was born in Czechoslovakia,

and moved with her family to Switzerland

when she was two years old.

Her love for tennis began at a young age.

At the 2002 Hopman Cup,

she paired alongside her future husband.

She was far from imagining that one day,

she would become a key part of his amazing journey.

Mirka would quit the sport, and retired at the age of 24,

due to a persistent foot injury.

After her retirement,

she became Federer's public relation manager,

making the pair's bond even stronger.

The couple tied the knot in 2009,

in Federer's hometown of Basel,

and he declared, having found in Mirka,

the best wife he could have ever imagined.

A few months after their wedding,

they welcomed identical twin girls, Mila and Charlene.

The couple later had another set of twins in 2014,

this time, twin boys, Leo and Lenny.

The man might be a legend,

but he is also just an ordinary dad.

And despite a hectic schedule,

he managed to spare plenty of time for his family.

- Clearly, family's the most important thing in life.

As I know, my wife's been incredibly supportive throughout,

and she's always the backbone, you know,

and it's been great with her.

(lighthearted music)

- [Narrator] The tennis star attributes

his longevity in the sport, in part, to Mirka's support.

The mother of four regularly brought their children

to her husband's matches.

She has supported Federer throughout their relationship,

as well as his philanthropic pursuits.

(calming music)

- Obviously, I've had an amazing supporter in my wife today,

and with the kids now,

who makes it all work for me

to see them almost every single day when I'm on tour,

when she travels with the kids with me.

And that's very important for me to keep

the motivation and inspiration going,

to go through these difficult times on tour

that sometimes are just hard, you know?

The logistics, and trying to manage everything.

It's hard, but it's so much fun doing it all together now.

I never thought I was gonna be playing as a dad,

and here I am,

the girls are almost three and a half years old.

It's really, really, truly amazing,

and I hope I can still do it for many more years,

because I can't get enough of it.

I think sports is a great way of life, a great school,

a great way to understand winning and losing, team sports,

you know, just coping with all those things.

I think it's great.

- [Narrator] The couple has also donated

more than $1 million toward education in Africa,

through the Roger Federer Foundation he founded in 2003.

Federer has been working hard to make a real difference

in the life of underprivileged children

all around the world,

and to help them take control of their future

by getting access to education, health, and sports.

As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador,

the player has been involved in

various philanthropic causes,

with a particular interest in South Africa,

his mother's home country.

(lighthearted music)

In July, 2015, Federer launched a new childcare center

in impoverished Malawi.

- The foundation is 10, 11 years old now.

So I've always thought, you know,

the children are tomorrow's future,

and I really enjoy supporting them

and giving them an opportunity to be able to go to school.

In this case, it will be preschool here in Malawi.

And I think it's really important that every child

should have this opportunity,

so I'm trying to help as much as I can.

(mellow music)

- [Narrator] The 2003 French Open first round loss

for Federer was a pivotal point in his career.

At 21 years old,

Federer fell in straight sets in the first round

to Louis Horna, a Peruvian ranked 88th at the time.

After losing his confidence,

his mental weakness caused him to lose within 45 minutes.

The loss left a lasting impact on him,

but he would learn from it.

And a reversal of fortunes was just around the corner.

In 2003, Federer won his first Wimbledon Grand Slam.

Federer described his emotions were similar

to when he beat Sampras, back in 2001.

A year later, he reached the final again,

displacing Andy Roddick as world number one in tennis,

in February 2004,

holding the position for 237 weeks in a row, until 2008.

That year, Federer went on to win the Australian Open,

Wimbledon again, and his first ever US Open.

(mellow inspiring music)

With consistency, resilience, a technique,

and an instantly recognizable image,

he set himself apart.

(inspiring mellow music)

- Well, he's been a little bit injured

in the beginning of the season,

but he's not losing it.

He's still the number one player in the world.

I believe at the end of this year,

he's still gonna be the number one player in the world.

You know, if he has the motivation,

and stays away from injuries,

he's gonna play for another five years in top tennis.

You know, he's one of the greats,

and, you know, never count Roger out.

I mean, he's a person who always give 100%.

He wants to win.

He's very professional at what he's doing,

so, coming into Wimbledon for Roger, his main ambition,

his main goal is to try to defend that title.

- I think I've done a good job of staying who I am.

You know, there's the same guy as back in the day.

I had to adapt to a new situation,

being so famous, so recognized, I guess.

And it's it's difficult to get used to that recognition,

and the awareness that everybody might know you,

and especially in this day and age with social media,

and everybody having a phone almost, with pictures,

it becomes tricky, you know?

But I think I've been able to remain the person I am,

and I stay very grounded,

so I don't see that sex symbol kind of guy anyway,

and I don't feel that way.

I feel like a normal guy

who just happens to be quite successful.

- [Narrator] It was with the help of Peter Carter

that Federer became the player he is today.

The Australian coach discovered the child prodigy in Basel.

After seeing a huge potential in him,

he took him under his wing,

and became a mentor to the upcoming tennis star.

Carter used to rave about him to his friends back home,

and one of those was Darren Cahill,

who himself was coaching a prodigy of his own,

called Lleyton Hewitt.

The two would play each other many times

throughout their careers,

with Hewitt becoming one of many players out to get Federer.

Who knew they would both become Wimbledon champions,

and world number one.

Carter was said to have

a powerful calming influence on Federer,

who initially struggled to get to grips with life

as a touring professional.

He can also thank him

for that masterful one handed backhand.

However, tragedy struck in 2002,

when Carter was killed in a car crash

while on his honeymoon with his wife in South Africa.

Federer was destroyed.

(somber piano music)

Fast forward to 2019,

Federer spoke about the mentor's influence on his life.

- What do you think he would've thought

to see you here now with 20 Grand Slams?

Sorry.

- (Roger sobs) - It's okay.

I'm sorry.

I hope he would be proud.

I guess he didn't want me to be a wasted talent, so...

I guess it was somewhat of a wake up call for me

when he passed away.

(somber piano music)

- [Narrator] He started to train harder,

which drove him to win his first Grand Slam in 2003,

11 months after Peter's death.

- Today was Roger Federer's first Wimbledon final,

his first Grand Slam win.

Nobody thinks for a second that it will be his last.

He's always been tipped as a future champion,

and today he showed why.

- Roger Federer, Wimbledon champion.

You better get used to that.

(Roger laughs) (audience cheers)

Thank you.

No, it's an absolute dream for me coming through,

and I was always joking around when I was a boy,

"I'm gonna win this."

And...

(reporter laughs) Now I have it!

(audience claps)

- [Interviewer] You're not gonna let them take that away

for a while, are you?

- [Narrator] Carter would sadly not go on to witness

the greatness that Federer achieved.

(melancholic music)

In 2005, always in control, he came through,

and proved that he was still the best on the grass

when he went on to win Wimbledon

for his third consecutive Wimbledon title,

becoming the only man since the Open Era began in 1968

to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles.

However, the French Open proved problematic for Federer.

The tournament of Roland Garros

is the only one of the four Grand Slams

ever to be played on clay,

the game's slowest surface.

Although Federer was the best on grass,

it was a different story across the English Channel.

He made his debut there in 1999,

but it would take him seven years to reach the final.

But by now, he had a goal and a target.

At the French Open final in 2006,

he faced defending champion and Spanish sensation,

19 year old Rafael Nadal,

who would become his biggest rival.

Nadal seemed to be fitter, fresher,

and just a better player on clay.

On that day, Nadal won three sets to one,

and it was Federer's first defeat in a Grand Slam final.

Less than a month later,

the two came face to face again at the final in Wimbledon.

It was Nadal's first appearance there.

If Nadal lost, Federer would become the only third male

to win the title in four years running.

Federer had lost on clay,

but on grass, he was the king.

One of the biggest, I think,

challenges that a professional tennis player

can face in today's tennis

is the transition from clay courts to grass courts,

from the slowest to the fastest surface.

On clay, there's a lot of sliding, high bounce.

It's just a completely different surface.

Grass, lower bounce,

not as fast as it was maybe 20 years ago.

It's very hard to break a serve of your opponent

on the grass court.

So, it is a very demanding surface,

and requires a lot of attention, a lot of work.

- [Narrator] He won his fourth consecutive

Wimbledon singles title.

The young Spanish star had sparked up the greatest rivalry

since Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.

The following year didn't prove to be

quite fruitful for Federer.

In 2007, Nadal defeated Federer again

on the final of the French Open.

But the Swiss didn't have long to wait for revenge.

Federer showed his class.

Wimbledon gave him the chance to equal beyond Borg's record,

by winning the title five years in succession.

Throughout the years, this cycle of epic battles,

losing and then revenge winning, would go on.

(dramatic music)

(audience claps)

- Ladies and gentlemen, from Mallorca!

- [Narrator] 2008 was, by Federer's lofty standards,

one of his worst years on tour.

The world number one lost in the Australian Open semifinal

to Novak Djokovic at the start of the year.

He then lost in the finals

at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, to Rafael Nadal.

And then, to add insult to injury,

Nadal took over as the world number one,

ending Federer's record run of 237 consecutive weeks

atop the rankings.

Federer's dream of a record six

successive Wimbledon titles was dashed.

But, he would learn from his loss.

- I guess you do have incredible confidence

in yourself sometimes,

but then also big doubts.

Whereas if you see another player,

all you see is his strength and weaknesses

as, you know, more just like on the surface,

so you don't know truly how confident

or how worried he is about his own game.

So, sometimes it's a bit of a chess game,

or I don't wanna say you pretend

like you're super fit or you're super tired.

You try to maybe sort of fake the guy out a little bit,

because what the other guy sees

might affect the way he plays.

- [Narrator] At the 2008 US Open,

Federer won his fifth consecutive US Open

against Andy Murray,

and 13th Grand Slam.

Not only did Federer equal Sampras's achievement,

but he would soon overtake him.

- These tennis fans have just seen Roger Federer

prove yet again that on this day,

he's too much for anyone.

Nonetheless, Andy Murray has learned a lot

here at Flushing Meadows.

At times he played brilliant tennis,

tennis of a caliber that suggests

he'll be contesting more Grand Slam finals.

- Yes, I'd like to think of this Slam, you know,

being the Slam I got five in a row, really.

I mean, I know that 13 is a strange number, funny number,

whatever you want to think of it,

I don't wanna get stuck at 13.

That's the last thing I want to do.

But I'd love to, you know, break Sampras's record,

but at the moment, I think the joy is right there.

Just having won a Grand Slam

for the first time this year again,

and having, you know, kept the run alive here at the Open.

I'm not number one in the world anymore, you know?

But this is definitely the best reaction I could do is like,

you know, win again here in New York,

and just make things more easy again for me,

you know, especially in the press room.

It was tough sometimes, you know,

just answering kinda stupid questions sometimes.

But now it's more easy again,

and I think for the rest of the year,

things are gonna be more relaxed.

- [Narrator] His attempt at number 14

came at the French Open in June, 2009.

The elusive French Open,

the only Grand Slam he had left to win,

had proved to be his nemesis.

This time, when he reached the final

for the fourth consecutive year,

having lost the previous three to Nadal,

Federer faced Nadal's conqueror,

Sweden's Robin Soderling.

The defending champion had been knocked out

in the fourth round.

Nadal's absence inspired and boosted Federer's confidence.

Exactly 10 years after his debut at the tournament,

Federer finally made it.

He became the only third man in the Open Era

to win all four majors.

This was one of the most emotional wins of his career,

as he was tied with Pete Sampras's record

for 14 Grand Slam wins.

I've come a long way.

And to get it at the end as the last remaining Grand Slam,

it's an incredible feeling,

and I'm of course very proud at this moment.

- [Narrator] And the prizes just kept on coming.

Less than a month later, at Wimbledon Center Court,

Federer clinched that historic 15th Grand Slam.

Right now, Roger's king again.

They were writing him off too soon,

which is what usually happens with great champions,

and he's one of the greatest of all time.

It's just really hard to compare people

of different generations.

How do you compare Suzanne Lenglen to a Margaret Court?

How do you compare Bill Tilden to Rod Laver,

to Pete Sampras, to Roger Federer?

They didn't play each other.

Well, Roger and Pete did.

But that was, you know, Roger wasn't quite as good yet,

and Pete was going down.

So, one of the greatest of all time,

and perhaps the greatest of all time.

- [Narrator] At the 2010 Australian Open,

Roger Federer lifted his 16th Grand Slam trophy,

after winning his fourth Australian Open title.

In 2011, he went without a Grand Slam title

for the first time in nine years,

after falling to Djokovic in the semifinals

of both the Australian Open and the US Open,

and to Nadal in the Roland Garros final.

- I think we actually almost appreciate

that the other person exists and plays so well,

because it actually brings the best out of you.

And I've had a harder time

when more and more rivals were coming up,

because I always thought,

"I don't need those guys.

I'm just happy to dominate and play so well."

But it's nice having all these group of guys

at the top right now.

And, you know, we've played over what, 20-30 times?

And many times we've seen the fair play of the other person,

and I think because of that,

we really, truly respect each other a lot.

At the end of the day,

I just try to play tough and fair,

and then may the better guy win.

(calming piano music)

- [Narrator] In July, 2012, the sixth time champion

beat Andy Murray in the Wimbledon's men's final,

emerging victorious after a three and a half hours game.

- For me, playing against a Brit in the final,

it's something that just can never be taken away,

and I don't take it for granted,

so I'm happy we lived up to the expectations,

and were able to play a great match.

I fought back, and then with the rain delays,

who knew what was gonna happen then?

So I thought he put a brave...

Put in a hero heroic effort, really.

And I hope he's not too disappointed today when he wakes up,

because he should be actually very proud of his performance.

- [Reporter] At Wimbledon, much of the crowd

was filled with well known faces,

many of whom felt they'd witnessed a future winner.

- He played brilliantly, actually.

And yeah, as predicted really.

[Reporter] And Roger Federer?

Huh?

- [Reporter] How do you think Roger played?

Classy as always.

- Yeah, Murray could've done it, couldn't he?

Let's face it, in the second set,

he had all those break points, he was almost there.

So what it tells me is next year, he's gonna be there.

- [Reporter] Well, do you think you're the best?

No.

I think the comparing the generations and the eras

and amateurs before the professionals now,

it is impossible to compare anyway in the first place,

and our life has started to been dominating by the media,

who say, "Okay, you have to achieve this,

you have to break that record,

and you have to move on,

and then you haven't won this yet, so please do that."

That's not how it works.

I didn't come into this game to achieve everything.

(mellow piano music)

- [Narrator] Federer suffered setbacks during his career,

due to mostly back and knee injuries.

Although he was battling crippling back pain

that laid him low in 2014,

Federer won his first, and only, Davis Cup against France,

one of the oldest and most prestigious events in sports.

You feel great emotions,

you're unbelievably happy and relieved.

You know, we wanted this clearly very badly,

especially being two-one.

You inch yourself closer and closer,

and clearly seeing Stan out there,

and the rest of the team supporting you, you push extra.

So it was definitely one of the better feelings

in my career, no doubt about it.

- [Narrator] By 2016, he was the 17th Grand Slam champion,

but he suffered a torn meniscus

after losing to Novak Djokovic

in the Australian Open semifinals.

Shortly after losing in the Wimbledon semifinals in July,

he withdrew from the remainder of that tennis season.

But he was never one to back down from challenges.

- World number one is a tough place to get to.

We saw it with a lot of players that struggle to get there,

or to get it back at one point,

because you gotta play a lot,

you gotta be successful, you gotta be healthy.

And that over a 365 day period.

So, yeah, no, this is not something I actually aimed for

when I came back from my surgery,

so I'm unbelievably happy that I'm here now.

I would have regrets if I didn't come here,

to be quite honest.

And I'm not there yet,

but I'm very excited for tomorrow's game, naturally.

That's what I came for.

So, it's nerve wracking to some extent,

but I need these moments if I'm still playing tennis.

You don't want it to be simple and relaxed

and easy all the time.

You want it to be a little bit...

It eats you up a little bit, you know?

It's a good feeling.

(melancholic piano music)

- [Narrator] At the 2017 Wimbledon Championship,

he came back even stronger,

proving once again that he was the reigning king of tennis.

On 17th July, 2017 in London,

Roger Federer won his 19th major title,

and became Wimbledon Champion for the eighth time.

- You know, I am turning 36 in a month,

which is where most players have already

been retired for a long time,

so I need to just stay healthy.

I think that's for me most important.

And you know, the not playing bit is very tricky too,

because if you don't play enough,

you also can get hurt again when you play matches again.

Well, if he wasn't already,

Roger Federer now surely has to be regarded

as the best male tennis player of all time.

And the most amazing thing about this achievement here

is he's done it looking as fit and fresh as he's ever been,

and that's because he's taken lots of rests.

[Narrator] Federer also became

the second man in the Open Era,

after Bjorn Borg in 1976,

to win Wimbledon without losing a set,

as he won his 317th Grand Slam singles match,

surpassing Serena Williams' record.

His wife Mirka, and both sets of twins

were in the stands cheering him.

(lighthearted piano music)

- Seeing them overlooking Center Court,

down on sort of this set, almost like a movie set,

you know, with the trophy standing there,

their dad sitting here, who's just won Wimbledon,

the beautiful lawn of Center Court,

the championship has just come to an end,

and my kids are there seeing all of it.

Honestly, it means so much to me.

It's hard for me to describe.

So when I saw them, I'm just like,

"Oh my God, this is too good to be true."

So I'm just so, so happy.

I think I definitely got also lucky,

but I took a lot of good decisions along the way last year

that put me in this position I am right now.

But like what you said, it's a huge, huge bonus

still to be playing tennis at this level.

My god, it's totally unexpected.

There's much more tennis coming up this year than last year.

- [Narrator] At the 2018 Australian Open,

he gave an emotional speech,

and started tearing up while accepting

his 20th Grand Slam title.

He then received a standing ovation,

as tears streamed down his face.

(audience cheers)

- It wouldn't be the same without you guys. Thank you.

Marin's team as well, you guys work hard. All the best.

(audience cheers)

This is tough, man.

And my team, I love you guys.

Thank you.

(audience cheers)

[Narrator] At the age of 36,

he became the oldest champion of the tournament in the era.

- Nice to see the sunrise over Melbourne,

and get into the room.

So it was a long night, but it was a lot of fun,

and everybody was in such a good mood.

It was a special day, you know?

A special week really, a couple of weeks,

and then it finished off in a great way.

I hope to be back next year, of course.

I love playing here, I never missed it,

ever since '98 the Juniors, and then the qualifying '99.

So yeah, the goal is absolutely to be playing.

That's why I took the six months off,

to hopefully be still playing for a couple of years.

- [Narrator] Winning more majors than any man,

he hoped to keep it up for much longer

as the undisputed leader in world tennis.

Because of a perfect record,

he was compared to tennis legends such as Marcelo Rios,

someone Federer had looked up to as a child.

Things seemed to have come full circle for him.

However, more injuries challenged Federer's body capacity,

and the end of his stellar career.

At Wimbledon 2019, Djokovic beat him in the men's final.

- [Reporter] A moment afterwards too,

to say thank you to his fans.

- Your fingers crossed the whole way through.

The whole match was so close, so exciting.

It was such a long match.

I feel like I've been through five sets.

(speaker chuckles) And more.

- I wanted both of them to win, and of course, I was right.

One of them did.

- By next year, Roger Federer will be almost 39,

and so a ninth Wimbledon title

may eventually prove beyond him.

For Novak Djokovic, he'll already be thinking

just how many can he add to his five.

- [Narrator] Federer underwent three knee surgeries

in the space of 18 months,

the first two in early 2020,

and the most recent after Wimbledon 2021,

when he lost in the quarterfinals.

- I also am aware that maybe at 38,

I shouldn't be the favorite, or the overwhelming favorite.

It should be somebody else.

Should be somebody probably in their twenties.

[Narrator] After a break,

the 20 Grand Slam champion returned in 2021,

but his play was limited.

I feel okay.

I'm very tired right now,

and my legs hurt like mad,

and my back's stiff now too,

because I couldn't take any treat...

Didn't take any treatment, plus I was dancing.

So... (reporter laughs)

I don't know. I feel I guess okay, I'm still on the high.

But I'm gonna crash eventually, but that's okay.

And I just thought that, you know

I could probably be dangerous for a top guy,

maybe beat one, and then that would probably be it.

Just because the body would start aching, which it did,

or my level would drop, which it didn't,

and that was a big surprise to me,

that my level was consistent.

I am 41 years old.

I've played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years.

Tennis has treated me more generously

than I ever would've dreamt,

and I must recognize when it is time

to end my competitive career.

Some success brought me confidence,

and I was on my way to the most amazing journey

that has led to this day.

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.

(melancholic music)

- [Narrator] On September 15th, 2022,

Federer announced his retirement at 41 years old.

- How much of a wrench is it to say goodbye?

It was hard.

It was hard in the first moment, and then I ignored it.

I said I don't wanna deal with it,

I'm just tired from doing so much rehab.

And then once I really had to write my letter to the fans,

to the people who have helped me,

it got really emotional again.

- [Narrator] After his announcement,

the tennis world paid tribute

to one of the best to ever pick up a racket.

And Wimbledon thanked him for the joy

he had brought to so many.

- Number one fan along with millions of other people.

And I just loved the way he played, the creativity he had,

the quietness on the court.

His footwork was so sublime

that I always used to say

it sort of reminded me of like,

the fingers of a concert pianist, you know?

Just gliding across the keyboard.

He's a genius.

I think obviously his play speaks for itself,

but to me, the most important thing

that he's been able to do it for so long,

is his passion for the game.

He loves tennis, he loves everything about it.

Of course, he likes to win and he's an amazing competitor.

You don't get to his level without that.

But more than any other really great player

I've been lucky enough to come across,

he just loves the game.

I think more than anything,

he loves to go out there and hit the ball.

And I think that's why he said in his final comments

that he's still gonna be playing tennis.

He'll still play exhibitions,

and get out there with his kids,

and so he's just not gonna play competitive tennis.

- Roger's the most beautiful player.

So the fact that he's lasted this long is incredible.

- What he did for tennis was unbelievable.

And he's loved all over the world with the fans and people,

and to see him play, it's incredible.

- [Narrator] Federer made such a physical game

look effortless and graceful.

With that mental determination,

he constantly strived to improve,

and never failed to show his love for the sport,

and desire to excel every single time.

(melancholic music)

On September 23rd, 2022,

he played his last retirement match

with his longtime rival, Rafael Nadal,

at the O2 Arena in London,

and broke down in tears.

The doubles match at the Laver Cup

was his final competitive match.

- What I heard, and the little things that I saw,

and some titles and headlines

was very much about me also as a person.

Less only just about forehands and backhands

and records and tennis player,

which shows that people really got to know me

over the years on the tour,

and I've had a wonderful time,

so this is a nice farewell tournament

for me here in London at the Laver Cup.

With all the guys on the team,

it's gonna be wonderful.

I'm gonna really look forward to enjoying it.

- Federer is just the best. - King.

- The king of tennis. - Yeah.

- The most natural player, the most complete player.

- And had to see his last game, you know?

World ambassador of tennis.

And knowing he's gonna be here,

and patterning Nadal, who's also a legend.

We just couldn't miss it.

So we're just so excited for this doubles match.

So excited.

- Well, we feel very lucky to be here

for such a huge event.

We're massive Roger fans, massive tennis fans.

He's an absolute icon of the sport,

and if I could sum him up,

I would say he's a class act on and off the court.

He's won so many times.

But he's a great person, great personality,

real role model for children.

And yeah, we just love him,

so very lucky to be here tonight.

(melancholic music)

- [Narrator] This was a vision tennis will miss.

Roger Federer on a court for a final time.

After, Federer bid farewell, hanging up his racket,

and retiring as one of the greatest

tennis players in history.

(melancholic music)

(lighthearted music)

When his love of tennis started,

Federer was a ballboy in his hometown of Basel,

who used to watch the players with a sense of wonder.

(inspiring music)

Now, he has become an inspiration for countless children,

who dream of making it big one day.

His legacy is long lasting.

With extraordinary talent, dedication,

passion and purpose, grace and humility,

with a great mental approach to tennis and life,

Roger Federer created history

by climbing his way to the top,

and capturing the hearts of millions of sports fans

all around the world.

As Roger Federer's outstanding career came to an end,

we say goodbye to a champion, a genius, a legend,

not just the greatest player or greatest shot maker...

(inspiring music)

Perhaps the greatest sportsman of all-time.

- [Roger] At the end, I guess I believed I could do it

because of the people around me,

so I'm happy I listened to them.

[Reporter] Thank you so much.

It was lovely to speak to you.

My pleasure.

- [Reporter] Thank you. (Roger chuckles)

(mellow string music)