Roger Federer Reflects on Retirement, Rivalries, and Euro 2024 Excitement

In an exclusive interview with BBC Breakfast ahead of the release of a Prime Video documentary about the final 12 days of his career, Federer spoke about retirement, his legendary rivalries, and his excitement for Euro 2024.

‘After the rivalry, we get on super well’

Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray defined an era with their intense rivalries. Federer’s final professional match was a doubles outing with Nadal for Team Europe at the Laver Cup. Despite his graceful style, Federer recently revealed that effortlessness was a myth.

“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. 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.”

Federer recently said he and his fans did not give Djokovic the “respect he deserved” when he first emerged as a contender to the great ‘Fedal’ rivalry. “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.”

‘I hope Andy, Rafa, and Novak can keep playing forever’

Britain’s Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one, has said he does not plan on “playing much beyond the summer.” He and Federer met 25 times on the professional circuit, with Federer holding a 14-11 record.

“I really don’t think there are any words of advice that I can give him. Retirement is so deeply personal. When you take that decision, everybody is in a completely different circumstance. We’ve gone through similar things but I’m too far away to give advice. If he called me up, I’d be happy to answer some questions. He’s had this massive hip issue and what he is doing is inspirational. I hope Andy, like Rafa and Novak, can keep playing forever, like a fan. The tour is better with them.”

‘I would do it all again when traveling with my family’

Federer often traveled with his wife, Mirka, a former tennis player, and their four children would often come to matches. “We created a home-away-from-home situation. I would come home from practice or a match and go and play Lego with the kids, read them a book or play hide and seek. It was great. I would do it all over again, even with the sleepless nights and the tough logistics that came with it.”

‘I’m happy Switzerland have Scotland in the Euros’

Federer appeared at Wimbledon last year to celebrate the tournament’s 100-year anniversary and recently gave a graduation ceremony speech at Dartmouth College in the United States. Like many, he plans to stay across the summer of sport, supporting his native Switzerland during Euro 2024.

“I’ll be watching the Euros, Wimbledon, and the Olympics. For a sports fan, this is the time to be alive. The group [for the Euros] is good. I think we’ve had similar groups in the past for Switzerland—I’m happy now we’ve got Scotland, Hungary, and Germany. I’ll have to tease Murray and he’s actually better than me at that!”

Federer’s reflections reveal a man content with his legacy and excited about the future, both for himself and the sports he loves.