Roger Federer Feels ‘Really Relieved’ to Have Retired from Tennis

Former tennis champion Roger Federer has opened up about his feelings of relief since retiring from the sport in September 2022 after nearly two decades of professional play.

Federer, who clinched his first major singles title at Wimbledon in 2003 at the age of 21, expressed his sense of relief in a recent interview with GQ Sports. Reflecting on his decision to retire, he acknowledged the challenges he faced in his final years on the court, particularly due to a knee injury.

“I’m really relieved, if that makes any sense … I mean, the last few years have been tough with my knee [injury],” Federer shared. “You could feel the end coming closer. So when it’s all said and done and you’re over the line and you’re retired officially, you take a deep breath and you’re like, ‘Wow, okay, that was good’.”

Despite his contentment with retirement, Federer admitted to feeling a sense of strangeness about no longer being an active tennis player. At 42, he finds it unusual to transition from the identity of a professional athlete to that of a retired individual.

“You’re not [a tennis player any more]. You’re ‘retired’,” Federer remarked. “It’s strange.”

However, retirement hasn’t slowed Federer down. He has been keeping busy with various projects, including designing sunglasses for Oliver Peoples and working on a documentary about his illustrious career for Amazon. The tennis icon recently attended a screening of the film, where he found himself overcome with emotion.

“This [the film] was something I didn’t want to do,” Federer admitted. “It’s like writing a book. I didn’t want to write a book. I just was not ready to write my story. So that was never an idea.”

Filmed before and after his final match in 2022, the documentary captures both the triumphs and challenges of Federer’s legendary career. Despite finding the experience emotionally taxing, Federer emphasized the importance of documenting his journey for future generations.

The screening of the film left a profound impact on Federer, who described it as “super emotional” and admitted to shedding tears multiple times. Through projects like the documentary, Federer continues to leave a lasting legacy both on and off the tennis court.