“At the funeral of my own life,” Roger Federer reflects on the emotional ride of watching his documentary again, agreeing that retirement is one of the two deaths an athlete experiences

Roger Federer's Twelve Finals Days set to release on June 20th.

“At the funeral of my own life,” Roger Federer reflects on the emotional ride of watching his documentary again, agreeing that retirement is one of the two deaths an athlete experiences

Roger Federer (via IMAGO)

Tennis great Roger Federer and fans are only a few days away from the release of his brand new documentary ‘Twelve Final Days’ on Amazon Prime. The Swiss Maestro is currently busy promoting his documentary. 

Federer: Twelve Final Days, which centers around Federer’s last few days as a professional tennis player, was meant to be a personal project, but he could not help himself and eventually had to share it with the world. The upcoming documentary leads up to Federer’s last tournament at the Laver Cup, where he experienced a ‘second funeral’, retirement. 

YouTube video

In a recent interview with El Pais, Federer was asked if he agreed with his former coach Severin Luthi’s words about an athlete experiencing two deaths, one of which was their retirement. Completely agreeing with his former coach, Federer gave some insights on this thought and explained how a player doesn’t know what to feel as the moment unfolds.

FS Video
Look, it's an incredible feeling like you're at a kind of funeral of your own life. It's a very strange feeling, to be honest. You are completely alert and experience a great slow-motion blur of everything that is happening. Therefore, watching the documentary is like therapy.
said Roger Federer via El Pais

The documentary explains just that, how Federer felt as the moment unfolded in front of him. The handshake with Nadal, followed by sharing some words with his rivals and fans, and a final goodbye to the sport. 

Roger Federer explains the importance of the viral picture of him and Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Laver Cup

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have had one of the most important rivalries in the sport. Dominating the whole rankings for almost two decades, they eventually built a camaraderie and became close friends. 

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (Via Imago)

They shared an emotional moment during Federer’s last game as a professional tennis player. In a recent interview, the Swiss pro revealed that he has kept that framed picture of Nadal and him in his home. The picture alone holds a lot of value for the Swiss, as it reminds him of the sport and his career. 

I have it at home, framed, in a space where I have several images of my career. I don't want photos everywhere, that's why I have them in a specific area.
added Roger Federer

Although this picture resonates with the others, Federer believes that this one is extra special and the one image speaks volumes about the journey they had together from rivals to best friends. 

In Case You Missed It: