Novak Djokovic celebrates victory against Denis Shapovalov in the mens' singles semi-final on centre court on day eleven of Wimbledon at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. Picture date: Friday July 9, 2021.
It was the end of a career that spanned 24 years, in which the Swiss great claimed 20 Grand Slam singles titles, including an all-time men’s record of eight Wimbledon trophies.
He was the first of the ‘Big Four’ players – Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray – to retire, marking the slow closure of one of the great eras of the game.
In an exclusive interview with BBC Breakfast before the release of a Prime Video documentary about the final 12 days of his career, Federer spoke about retirement, his great rivalries and why he is excited about Euro 2024.
“I think it’s a great compliment to hear that because effortlessness is a myth, as we now know.
“Everyone is very different. For some, it’s their only way of playing by showing that grit. For me, I needed the balance. I could not go through a career with Rafa’s intensity. He’s running around the locker room getting intense. I was looking at him thinking: ‘Jeez, I’d be tired before getting on court.’
“We both can’t do it the other way and that’s why there’s so much mutual respect between athletes and players. Me, Rafa, Novak or Andy, we do it all our own way and all roads lead to success.
“It’s tricky sometimes and there’s definitely moments when you don’t like a certain opponent, but then you like him so much. It’s important to remember this as a player – it is just tennis and at the end, we can be normal.
“You see us being super friendly with each other after the rivalry and we get on super well. It’s nice to be kind to one another.”
“Take that as motivation when the crowd is against you. I had that not very often but when I was younger, they would cheer for [Andre] Agassi – they didn’t want the new guy to win.
“That can fuel you in a way. You can take it from anywhere and Novak has been a master of that.”
