Doctor Roger Federer Will See You Now [VIDEO]

Do you want to warm up first? What do you do normally? Voice? I do the voice stuff. You don't do like a little... No, I mean I'm trying to put you in the tennis mode. No, totally good. Can I tell you? That's probably my favorite thing about tennis is that you warm each other up. Yeah, that is weird. It's really weird. It is super strange. There's no other sport I can think of where the opposing athletes help each other get into the zone. Can I give you a good rid of them so they can beat me after? Yeah, I've just never...

doing like the bags of butter. Yeah, like just like doing a little punching and stuff before you go and mark each other out. This is What Now with Trevor Noah. A radio lab we love nothing more than nerding out about science, neuroscience, chemistry... But we do also like to get into other kinds of stories, stories about policing or politics,

about the country music, hockey, sex, of bugs. Regardless of whether we're looking at science or not science, we bring a rigorous curiosity to get you the answers. And hopefully make you see the world a new. Radio Lab, adventures on the edge of what we think we know.

Wherever you get your podcast. Wildcard is a new podcast that asks big questions you won't hear anywhere else. Famous guests like Jenny Slate, Chris Pine and Boen Yang have to answer whatever question gets drawn from a special deck of cards. What's a goal you're glad you gave up on? What's a belief you had to let go of? What's the biggest sacrifice you've ever made? Listen to Wildcard. Wherever you get your podcast. Only from NPR.

Welcome everybody to another episode of What Now, the podcast where we have interesting conversations with the interesting people who make us think or feel. Today is, I mean, this is always one of my favorite things to do is sit down with somebody I consider a friend, somebody who I've got fond memories with, funny stories, whatever it may be. And really just chat about how they see the world what they're doing in it.

And that person today is the one and only Roger Federer. You probably know him if you've lived on Earth, but if you don't, he is widely regarded as the greatest tennis player that has ever done it. He also gives that accolade to many of his peers who are also some of the greatest to ever do it. But today we're talking about everything in between. A documentary entitled, Federer, 12 Final Days, which is exactly what it sounds like. The 12 Final Days of Roger Federer's professional playing career.

And yeah, man, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast friend. I'm sure it's good to see you travel. Absolutely the same. I'm happy to see you again. You know, my tennis partner, man, from Cape Town, we did it together. I mean, your tennis rival. I mean, yeah, but we were in it together. Yeah, we were in it together. But you still beat me.

That's amazing that you actually did that. That was crazy. 52,000 people. I mean, you just started to play that as barely. And here you are walking out in Cape Town. Can I tell you? That was wild. The first and last public tennis match was against Roger Federer with Rafael Dau as my right? Yeah, that's it. I mean, Rafael was your partner. Quit the game on top.

Do I now have to say doctor? How does this work? It's up to you. But if you have any issues ever or any problems, you come to see me. I mean, doctor Federer. There's not so many things, but yeah, with a doctor thing comes from you're probably referring to my commencement. Congratulations. Thank you. That was fun and Dartmouth. And you get an honorary doctorate. So here I am sitting as a doctor.

You know, yeah, a form of tennis player. That's what I can't think of many people who would be a better doctor than you. You're one of the most precise human beings. I know you're one of the most. You have everything that I think a good doctor would have. Right. And I mean like a doctor doctor, like medical doctor, like you have great bedside manner. Everyone that meets you likes you. And they probably give you more information than they should. Yeah, start just sharing this secret with you.

You've got to mean you've got the precision. You've got like the memory that touched everything. I it also seemed like emotional for you. I know a little bit of your story because you were, you know, thrust into the, you know, tennis profession like so early on. High school wasn't a thing for you. No. College wasn't a thing for you. Was it was it like a little emotional experiencing a part of life that you maybe wouldn't have otherwise.

It's very strange because like you said, the, the academic world and that part of life is so far away from it. Right. I knew that in 10, I mean, sorry in Switzerland, it's super important. Academics come first. Yeah. Everything else is a hobby. You know, tennis, especially sports in general. Anyways. So for you to pursue tennis or sport in our country is like, what do you mean?

You're obviously not going to be good at it. So make sure your grades are good, you know, because this is obviously not going to work out. Oh, wow. And so for us to dive into that and believing and dreaming of, you know, the big time is not something that is very common. Maybe now more so since, you know, I made it and we have more athletes making it, you know, and it's a thing. And you can see how much emotions actually a athlete can bring.

It can be more seen as a career, you know, but then yeah, you, I mean, I remember I tried hard, you know, when I stopped school at 16 and chased, you know, my tennis dream. I remember I did French English and German online classes for those because I said, I got to do something after 60. I can't stop it all.

Then after, you know, a couple of weeks, I asked my dad and my mom like, it's so hard. I don't have the discipline to sit down and do English and all that stuff. And German and French is okay. We do our French, you know, I'll just do German and English. I'm better at that than the French point. They're like, okay, fine. So like two weeks later, like, I can't do it. Just give me a chance just to do only tennis.

If tennis really doesn't work out, I'll go straight back to school. But please let me go. I like you whittling down the language. I can't do French. I can't do I can't do language. I just want to hit the ball. And then here I am, you know, yesterday at Dartmouth, I mean, in my robe giving commencement speak is speaking, you know, to all those graduates, they're going to be so bright. They're going to be incredible people, you know, and yeah, I feel very humbled.

And it's a it was a great moment, you know, and you brought the family and then all the kids, yeah, and everybody came. So it really felt like a deep dive into American college, you know, which I had, you know, I know very little about obviously. I mean, in recent years, I've got no more and more about it. So when they asked me, I started preparing because I don't give them many speeches like that.

You seem natural, though, like, like, I know this about you personally, you're not the biggest fan of being on the mic. You're not the biggest fan of like, but I've met few people who are more natural at it. Like you, it's not just the glamour. It's like you, you have this vibe. Like you could be a Swiss James Bond. Yeah, what is that? Swiss James Blassey. Yeah, I see him showing up.

You know, I am saving everything. Very responsive. Yeah, it's very. It'll be on time. Yeah, it's very long time. Very responsive. Wouldn't blow anything up. No, you just fix things. Absolutely. Keep, keep, keep, keep, make them better. No, I mean, yeah, I mean, I like being, you know, on the mic. Yeah.

But then also I very much like again, being gone from it all, you know, so and I think for me, most important was always tried to keep sort of the authenticity, you know, just being organic. Myself, not changed too much, you know, I'm adapt fine, you know, start them and all that stuff, you know, that was weird in the very beginning of my of my life. But I'm happy I got out on the other side after this whole like 25 years of being in the limelight.

Right. Just still feel like I'm actually still a good normal guy, you know, just said, don't take myself too serious. I like to make jokes all the time, as you know. And so then having a conversation like with you today, I knew it was going to be fun. So, I mean, thank you. Why do you think that is, by the way, like my dad Swiss.

So I know that Swiss people are like the funniest. Like, I mean, we just have to be honest, like what do you think it is that gave you that little, that little spark like you. When we were doing the Swiss tourism ad, we spent most of the day laughing. Right. When we're playing the tennis, we spent most of the day laughing. When you were launching the Oliver Peoples collaboration, your sunglasses, we spent most of that evening laughing. Where do you think you get that from?

I mean, it has to be from traveling and getting on the road. And the people have been surrounded by, I mean, as you know, when you wait around along and you're around good, fun people that you know, life's serious enough most of the time. Yeah. I mean, you have a lot of time to just, you know, talk smack all the time. So that's why I think it has to come from from the road.

I think then when I speak French, whereas my French is never as good as my English, I still feel like I'm a teenager. Right. So when I speak French, I feel like I'm super young still and super silly because the vocabulary is way more limited. And English to me is like the language where I'm maybe the happiest and the most open. And maybe Swiss German is maybe where I'm the most, how do you say the most me per se where I can get into the details because that's the language I grew up with.

Of course, of course, there you go. It has to be that way. So that's why I think it also has a little bit to do with all of that. I'm not sure. Yeah. For this conversation, I was trying to think of like what would, what would be something that that the listeners would really love, you know, what would they get from Roger that they may not be able to get in another conversation.

And because on the podcast, what now what I'm always fascinated by is not just what happened, but what that thing that happened will change for the future. So sometimes if it's news or politics, it's like that that happened. Okay, what now, but with people also find it interesting because we always meet people at a moment in time and very seldom do we get inside into where they're going to go what they're going to do, how they're going to do it.

And then you came out with this with this with this documentary film or the 12 final days. And man, I know you fairly decently and I've been lucky enough to know you for a few years, but there were parts of it that were really intimate and really, you know, revealing.

Yeah, I would say and maybe maybe that's the first question I have for you is like, were you worried at any point, like, why would you make a documentary that is following you for the last 12 days of one of the most illustrious careers that anyone has ever seen across any scene. You know, was there a part of you that worried that maybe you'd be losing the intimacy of that moment and that's why I think the best part of it all was it was not supposed to be a movie.

It was just supposed to be for the vault to put it away for my children, no way for my team, for my friends one day, just so we could look back and say like, you know, we actually grabbed some content because the thing is I've been super given open. Yeah, I mean, always happy to take pictures and talk to everyone, but then private is private, you know, like nobody comes to my house. We don't take do home stories.

It's just sort of off limits and I tried to keep my kids out of the limelight as much as I could, of course, they've come seem some of the matches then down the road and of course people and see them sometimes. But for the most part, I've really tried to keep that more of a private thing. So when then, well, the career was was coming to an end. The question was, where was it going to be? You know, where do I retire?

Because I knew sort of some point in the summer that, you know, my knee was not improving anymore. Yeah, you could see the trajectory going and then, you know, and some people around me really thought that I should maybe have at least some footage taken from the end because I really never wanted the camera team in my life because I said, like I couldn't

think of anything worse here. I am trying to prepare for Wimbledon or French Open US Open your name. You've got all these people around them. They're here and then, you know, you're tying your shoes and you know they're looking over your shoulders. So you tie them extra nice and then you're going from the mirror. You put on the headband and you make sure it looks epic, you know, even though no difference.

You just want to be focused. So I think it give I always felt like that's not the thing I really need in my life and I don't want that. Okay. So then we decide that it's going to be London 0 to double with Rafa. Yeah. I called Rafa at this point. And I thought, okay, if I can just have a camera team around knowing that it's going to go into the vault. I'm going to be relaxed because then I can just leave it there forever or if ever there is a life doc, you know, about my life.

30 years from now. I actually have some extra footage while I still was active. I mean, there is obviously tons of footage out there and maybe some I never, never remember. And I allowed some behind the scenes sometimes I'd like exhibition matches like in South America tour.

Yeah. Because I just thought, okay, exhibitions, you're relaxed. It's much more on the fly, everything. There is no rules. Whereas you know you're playing for so many points and so much history at this other events. I don't need the extra distraction. Okay. So then team shows up was Joe Sabia from 73 questions. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So I was like, okay, I need someone I kind of know. I cannot be just somebody out of nowhere that shows up and then is in my life.

Yeah, especially for something so intimate. Yeah, you know, it was super intimate because I said, okay, if we, if I bring somebody in, I mean, the guy has to come home. I don't want anybody at home, but he has to. Yeah. So we did that. And you know, days go by as I prepare in Switzerland, I released, you know, the news to the world that I'm retiring. I read, you know, sort of my, my audio form letter to the world.

I didn't know how I was going to announce it if it was going to be video, but I knew I was always going to regret a video because I was going to look at it later and go like, oh my god, that's such a bad video. But you know, you have to do something and then a little tweet is maybe not good enough because that's not good enough for the career. That's not good enough.

As well. So I read this letter. So the crew is there as well. So they captured that. And then as I get ready and then travel to London and prepare with the media and all that stuff. So literally the crew is really more just a fly in the wall over the shoulder, very raw footage. And then as the days go by Joe says, I'm so sorry, this footage is so sick.

It's crazy. I mean, be such a way, such a pity if you don't share this with your fans and your people, like, yeah, whatever, I'm not here for that. I'm trying to cope with my emotions. You're essentially making a home video, right? So capturing a final moment. So it was not. And then of course, you know, everything's over. Joe reaches out to me.

The director couple, maybe a couple of weeks later, I'm going to remember and go, look, I just put something together for you to see 60 minutes, have a local 50 minutes. I don't remember. And he was on zoom. I was watching it at the hotel in Zurich and, okay, cried a couple of times because again, you go through the emotions of watching it. And I was thinking with me, I can Tony, we were watching it and thinking, is this something that really needs to go out to the world?

Maybe it's just like a snapshot of, like you said, that very, very end of it all, you know, it's literally like rehab also for me going through it all again. Oh, in what way? I don't know, because, you know, it was so emotional the end. So I think for me to talk about it again and emotionally go through it all. It's like therapy, you know, it feels special, but it's as you know, in the movie, I'm so vulnerable. Yeah.

And I don't know. So I just hope that the people think, thank you for letting me see it. So cool. You actually didn't keep it. And so when I hear the people like it, I'm just, I'm just relieved because it was so hard at the end. I know, I know for a fact that people are going to love it because it's, it's, it's not just the fact that they're watching a documentary about Roger Federer.

It's, it's the fact that you are bringing them into a space that we very seldom get to see, which is the human side of being an athlete. Do you know what I'm saying? When, when we watch the documentary and when we think about teammates, relationships, partnerships, I think arguably the greatest devil's partnership of all time is you and Mirka.

I watch the two of you. I've seen you at everything from the Metcala to, yeah, man, just like, like a little vacation together to, you know, chilling in Switzerland to whatever it is. The two of you have the most beautiful synchronicity between you as human beings. I've always, I've always wondered what that, what that is.

You know, what do you think it is about Mirka that, that, that enables you to go off and become the greatest of all time? What, what, what do you, what do you think it is about her and, and what do you think you in turn give her as well? Because the two of you really have a wonderful synergy as human beings. I mean, I think you have to go back to the early days, you know, where, when we got together pretty much at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

I was young at the time. Mirka was, you know, in the middle of her career, start to having some heal, Achilles issues and was struggling after the surgery to come back. I remember she was on crutches walking all the way through Paris at the time. Super tough moments, you know, and she was on crutches for a long time. Yeah. I mean, over a month, I think, you know, at the time was like, my God, I mean, how long are you having these crutches for?

I thought like it's just a surgery and we get back up on the horse, you know, and you keep going and then she was doing rehab, always pain. And then I told her about, why don't you just, I mean, retire. I mean, like this is not the idea of playing tennis with pain all the time. And then we can be on tour together and I was, you know, on the ascend of start to win Wimbledon, top 10, world number one.

And she's like, yeah, you're right, you know, let me, I'm done. It's good. And then, wow. And then here we are. Me, oh, I don't know if I should retire. I'm 36, you know, 37, 38, you know, so hard to retire. I'm thinking of her. She just like went like, okay, I'm done, you know, it's no problem. So what's a big deal? Well, and I'm here. I'm a little bit, it's the biggest deal in the world to retire. I make it so emotional and I love the game so much, which she does too.

But I think she loved the tour through my career and the travels and the logistics behind them, like being, you know, my rock really through second thin. And she's been incredible, you know, throughout. And then first half, thankfully we had it with no children. And thankfully we had it with children, you know, the second half, you know.

And that's obviously like that was a whirlwind of a life that we had. And I missed that to be honest, like creating that home away from home experience, like in a room like this, creating a corner where the kids would be playing. And then I would jump in and out to read a book and go build the Lego together and whatever we did, you know, create little corners like this was great. So America's been phenomenal, you know.

And I think that's why I also was so hard for her at the end when she could see the suffering that I was going through with my knee. And she's like, this is not the Roger that I know who, you know, who can crush everybody beat everybody. And we should have a good time if he loses no problem. But if he loses at least, you know, he's feeling okay, but she could see what I was going through on a daily basis.

So I think we were all super relieved at the end. And you know, in the movie as well, she speaks to the she speaks to camera, which she hasn't done in like 18 years. People don't even know her voice. Because she's like, I'm done with the media because once she was taken care of the press. And I just thought there was another great situation to have your, you know, your wife or girlfriend at the time take care of the press. And all you say is 99% of the time.

Oh, I'm so sorry Roger doesn't have time to do media. She got a bad rap for that. So then we said, like, well, why not just stop doing that. We give it to somebody else. And she won't do any more interviews. Who knew that she was not going to do interviews for like 18 years. And she did one just quick one now for the, you know, for the movie at the end.

We just wanted to capture just to see how she felt. And actually the beautiful thing was I think when she was speaking to camera, I was actually in the bedroom of the girls, I believe the boys were there too, maybe. And I told them that I was retiring because I didn't tell them until I read the audio form at home because I didn't want them to tell their kids friends and friends. And then it leads up.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And we were crying in the bedroom. She's crying in the front talking about how much the career and how much I've meant to meant to her and I mean, she's been incredible. I mean, throughout because it hasn't been easy for her, by, you know, by any stretch and. But so much fun and we look back with great, great memories. We're going to continue this conversation right after the short break.

This episode is brought to you by Lowe's. Looking forward to a summer of hosting envy inducing cookouts and parties. Lowe's wants to help you be the host with the most this summer. That's why they're giving you deals on everything. Everything you need for summer entertaining with their fourth of July savings. With deals across the entire store, it's your best chance of getting ahead of all your summer DIY.

Lowe's knows summer savings. Click or tap the banner to shop July 4 savings online now or shop in store at Lowe's. One of my favorite moments is where you're sitting in the in the change room. And I think it's it's you're going to be playing against the Francis, right? It's like it's for the doubles match and you and you're talking about your knee. And you say like half joking, you go, if I knew it was going to be what it is, you know, I'm paraphrasing you.

If I knew it was going to be like this, I would have never gotten in. I would have never gotten into it in the first place. And you know, I obviously don't take it literally. I don't think you would have never done it. But I do think people can take for granted how much sacrifice goes into a career like yours. You know, physical sacrifice, mental sacrifice, the time sacrifice of life. When you look at your body now, your mind, your everything, do you ever take stock and think she's off man?

I really gave a lot to tennis as a career. Yeah. And especially when I see like yesterday, you know, you see the French Open Finals, Alcarazgan's Vera, five sets and they're chasing each other around the corner. I'm like, I did that too. You know, I did that too many, many times. Yesterday, when I was a commencement speaker, I was talking about that I played 1,000, 526 matches. I had to look it up. How many I did. And you realize, oh, there was a lot of tennis, a lot of running.

And I am so relieved that I don't have to go through it anymore, you know, because I mean, as fun as it was. But the, especially towards the end, I remember, I mean, the warm-ups, you know, the stretchings to warm-up, to go warm-up than tennis. To take a break, to then warm up the body again, to then go play, you know, a match. I mean, it was massive, monumental effort to do that. Now you can say, well, what's a big deal? It's just tennis.

Yes, just tennis, but it's your life. And you've been trying to, you tried to perform at your best in front of people. Right. And you know that better than anybody. Performing front of people just adds that extra pressure. There's no, okay, cut. Let's do that again. That didn't work out. Like you're out there and you're vulnerable and it's tough. So I honestly, I feel super relieved.

And I see any athlete now or any person who performs at the highest of level, especially with a live audience, you know, I respect them. And I'm so happy I have that. But it almost feels like it was a different me now. I don't know. You probably still sold in the thick of it, you know. No, no, you know what I actually actually agree with you.

I'm really proud of you. So yeah, because it's funny and we talked about this. Like, you announced like your departure from tennis around the same time I was departing from the daily show. And I think I can relate to many of the things you're saying. There's, there's a moment in your life that is defined by a certain action and activity. You know what it's going to be like when you wake up, you know what it's going to be like when you go to bed.

Your body starts to get used to it. Your mind starts to get used to it. And when you step out of it, like you said, there's the, there's the, there's the grief of what you've let go of. But then you start to experience like a little newness, a little free, a little, you know, like for me, my version of the, of the, you know, no tennis warm up is some days I don't read the news. Yeah. Now I can just do that. I just go before you had to know what was going on.

I would be at parties. I'll never forget this. I was like a dinner party. And in the middle of the dinner party, a notification came up on my phone. There was breaking news. And I literally had to do that. I stepped away from the table and I went to read, you know, just because I was like, I don't want to not know what this is. Because my job requires it. And now I'm just like a phone off. I see what happens. But I'm sure it's like for you, right?

Similar to me now as well. And that where I feel at the most is where, you know, if I'm with my children or with my friends, I don't really have to think about two more of practice for more as match, you know, like where all of a sudden you're sitting there. I don't know. You're having a good time. But you're thinking. So when he goes back and down the line on me and I'm on the phone on the run, do I hit it back up the line? I do a quote cross court.

Yeah. And okay, hey, you know, you're like, you end up visualizing it. Don't don't rush away from that. This is no. This is this is fascinating to me. I've always wondered this about about like the best athletes in the game. You have memories and visualizations that, you know, A.I. would want to replicate. Talk to me a little bit about that. So you you're going into a match. You know a match is coming up in the in the next few days.

You're visualizing what the match will be and how your opponent plays and you're basically playing the match in your head before the match. Yes. I mean, yes, absolutely. And I think some do it by watching video. I didn't watch a lot of video of my opponent, even though towards the end I did, because there's a couple of things that worked for me is the memory of remembering how it feels to play an opponent. Then what I would want to do. So how does that match up together?

Then how is my opponent played that particular week compared to how have we matched up against each other? Let's say the last 10 years. Yeah. You know, and then you have fast court, slow court. So all of that matters. How do I feel that week? The things I've been doing maybe prior to the match.

Have I been playing aggressive? Have I been playing more safe? Am I carrying an injury or not? How do I feel? And then especially against the best players, the ones I played the most against, you know, it's always a game of chess like for pattern. Who gets the patterns they want, right? And that's then when you realize, well, okay, it's very clear what he wants. It's very clear what I want.

Now the question is like, is one of us going to back out of it? Or we're just going to say like, okay, let's see what you got on the day. He might not have a best day. Maybe I don't have my best day. So obviously there's this clash at the beginning and then you got to decide we keep going. Or do we like start deviating from it? And that's where like a skier, you know, who sees the ski slope?

Yes, we see those same patterns I was saying to before, like if he goes, I don't know, short angle cross court, do I have to go back cross court and let him try to thread the needle up the line? Or do I take charge and say like, do I go up the line and break it up? But then does it look like an escape from me? Or is that a specific play I use, you know, and then all this also.

Statistics stuff came in towards the end of my career, which can really make your make your, how do you say your mind crazy? Yeah, how do you feel about that? Because this is something that I've heard from athletes across all disciplines, you know, I remember sitting with like a few players from the Premier League.

And Syria and they were telling me how in football in soccer, now it's all become data analytics. So back in the day, the coach would tell you, this is how you should move, this is what you should do. And have fun. And now a coach goes, no, when that player gets the ball, we all move like this, you come down, you move up, you do that.

When that player gets the ball, you do this. Because 70% of the time they're going to cross the ball over here. 82% of the time they're going to pass it across this. 23% of the time if you press them, they're going to do completely, but it's all that coming as well. And with tennis, I've heard that this is also increasing where now they give players like a book and they say, study this.

Yeah, these are the percentage odds for what your opponent is going to be doing or not doing in these types of situations. But like, how do you get that in your head? So that's the thing. I am very much the guy who, you know, likes to go with my power. I believe that I don't know playing attacking tennis attacking breaking down my opponent's backhand is the play. So obviously you're not going to just hit into the backhand all the time and try to break it.

I know you have to open it up through the forehand. So then the backhand corner gets bigger. And then obviously you can hit it hard into the backhand corner, spin into the backhand corner, slice it, short, long.

And then you do all these things. And then when let's say the most important moments come around, that's when you didn't ask your opponent all the questions that you, you know, you've been massaging that the bad side, let's say so many times that he has his doubts that he obviously doesn't want to hit all those different types of backhand. Let's just say.

Now, and then you know, you thought you think it through with your coaches and you have a game plan. Then of course you can think about all the problems and all the strength your opponent has, but in my, I feel like in my best years, I just focused almost on my own game and the rest I'll wing it and I'll figure it out towards the end. Then like you said, this analytics came in and then you would hear that, I don't know, on break point, he would hit 73% chance that he goes to your backhand.

So now what do you do? Do you say like, well, obviously I'm waiting here on the backhand side, or do you say like, well, hold on a second, he knows that I know so I know he knows and then he actually burns you up to four through the four hand. So you just, so that's where I've preferred sometimes not to know and just go with the feeling of how the last game went, where he was serving, was he making the last serves, was he missing them, was he going for it, what was he doing?

And I just go with the intuition. So that part I enjoyed less, you know, when he got so, so specific like a formal one car, everything. So everything becomes predictive. Let me, let me ask you this on a philosophical level then, you know, do hearing you talk about this makes me think of how you can apply this to many things in life.

You know, in society, sometimes the downfall of data is that it looks backwards, it doesn't look forwards, you know, so you go, this has happened, or go, it will happen as opposed to realizing that if you do something new, you can change the data, you know, in relationships people will talk about this, you go like sometimes when couples are fighting, you go like, oh, why don't you buy her flowers?

Oh, she doesn't care. She'll just tell me this is like, well, you're using the data now to assume something about somebody's future action. And it's interesting that you talk about that because everyone who's a fan of tennis and a fan of you is always gone, it feels like you're flowing, it feels like you, I feel like you're walking through it feels like you have this idea, you know, but I, but I like, I wonder now what that brain is doing now that there isn't tennis to think about because that brain, it's not like your brain just goes away. It's not like your brain just turns off.

So what's Roger applying that brain to now? Or do you get to rest that and think of something? I have the feeling maybe like you said, Trevor, it's maybe a little bit of a holding position, a little bit of a resting phase. Okay, I have retired just five minutes ago. Wait, wait, let's pause here. Yeah. This is your resting phase. I mean, resting phase as in, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, no, Roger, I'm going to pull you out. No, this is your resting phase.

Yeah. Okay, let's go launching a sunglasses brand that was sold out in minutes. All right, continuing to like blow up one of the fastest growing sports brands in the world, right, which is on traveling around the world still with like as a Rolex ambassador still being the face of tennis releasing a documentary going around the way like this is your resting phase.

Well, I feel like this, I was I say because this year in particular, I was very strong with my wife to say, you know, let's plan all our vacations super early. Okay. So nobody can say like, oh, by the way, can you come to to this one thing? Okay. Okay. And I'm like, yeah, that makes sense.

I mean, we at NAM right now, you know, or I will be in Vietnam at this time or being Bangkok, or I'll be somewhere around the world. So I really protected my schedule. I feel at a very good level this year. I'm really happy we did that. I told you we would just came back six weeks from from Asia from the amazing trip in Thailand before that we were in Japan last October.

And we had a wonderful Christmas in the Maldives, you know, so things I really, really looked forward to for many, many years while still on tours. One day I can go visit places without the stress of having to practice or actually playing on the match there. It's been great for me to do that. So I know I'll get back into it. And then like you said, I have all these projects, you know, that all of a sudden came about, but not almost because I wanted them so badly they came back organically.

I mean, on the just around the corner. So I go to the offices and we talk about stuff. And they are just signed with on us. That's been so cool. By the way, that story is amazing on so many different levels. Like Zendaya is easily, I mean, she just in the stratosphere of her career, you know, everything she touches turns to gold. I also love the connection to the fact that like she just put up the movie challenges. And all about tennis is all about tennis.

But what's interesting and this is what I what I love about the serendipity of how some things tie together. The movie challenges seems like it's about tennis, but I argue it's not. It just happens in the world of tennis. And it's really a movie about relationships. It's really a movie about expectations. It's a movie about pressure.

It's a movie about self-identity. You know what I mean? And in that movie, in the movie, Zendaya's character and spoiler alert, if you haven't watched it, just skip this part. Zendaya's character is probably going to be the best tennis player in the world. She suffers an injury. She can't play her role changes dynamically. And it ends all about this. And there were some people who said, oh man, this sort of reminds me of like Roger and me a story.

And the director said, but the director came out and said, no, that's exactly what inspired me said he was fascinated. I made this suffering through 2019 Wimbledon finals. Wimbledon was on. You're on the court. And the camera keeps cutting to work. That's what they do at Wimbledon, right? They always go from player to team or player to wife or player to coach.

And it's such a tennis thing because in America football or baseball or football, they don't always cut to the team. But in tennis, it's such a thing. Don't go anywhere because we got more what now after this. It feels like you've brought your precision, your thoughtfulness and your joy out of tennis into another idea and that that is a sports brand.

I know you're really thoughtful about why and why you do or don't do things. So I've been lucky enough to be in Switzerland with you and to like feel you moving through space like when we're in the train station, for instance,

do you apply that to yourself as well as Roger? Like do you feel that you have, you know, maybe an obligation is the wrong word, but I can't think of a better one right now to really represent Swiss identity, to really represent Switzerland, to really represent the Swiss people.

I think we're proud of our Swiss made and you know, like we do it with precision and well and when you know there's like a Swiss cross on something, it's supposed to be done to a level that not many other countries can bring it to and maybe Italy when it comes to really beautiful clothes or Japan when you know that the craftsmanship is really special.

And I think the Swiss angle has that as well, you know, we're very proud of it like with our, you know, watches and cheese and chocolate and mountains and whatever it is, you know, we're very proud of it all as you saw, you know, when we did the Swiss tourism out together. But on an individual level though, it hasn't always been that way.

And the earlier, okay, this is the way I've perceived it, you know, like, you know, having family members in Switzerland and spending a little time out there, it's like Swiss culture is also a little bit of like, hey, don't stick out too much for sure. We're all equal. We're all doing this thing. We're all as important as the other. And so in many ways, the culture of personality.

So the beginning was funny. Look, I didn't feel like, yeah, sure, I'm proud to represent Switzerland when it was a team sport and it's a game Switzerland, you know, like saying the Davis Cup or Olympics and so forth. But you know, when I was traveling on my own and I feel like, yeah, sure, I represent Switzerland. There's a Swiss flag, but never to the extent towards sort of the second half of my career when I really started feeling the Swiss people really proud of me.

And every year that went by and the more famous I became, the more important was for me to represent Switzerland the right way because I know that they care. Yeah, we're subdued about it. We're not like, let's not make a big fuss about it, but we really are. And honestly, they, you know, it's hard to get them out of their shells. Yeah, shells and come like say, like, okay, Roger's the greatest.

But I'm not as good, you know, we're like him and when maybe I'm not around you ask Swiss guy, he's amazing. You know, we're so proud of him. So that's been amazing to you. You know, most of them don't even say a federal. They always say Roger. That's what I love the most. Generally everywhere I go, they come out to me and they're like, and they're like, Trevor, they're like, good seed. And they're like, we saw your thing with rocher.

Like, yeah, with rocher. Yeah, it's just very, we love rocher. How is it? But they also Roger with which I think is a testament to how they see you. No, I've always tried to keep that connection going. I've done, I mean, countless hours of Swiss media as well because it would have been easy just to say, let's just keep it to English. Right. Right.

We've had a very safe time and stuff, but I always knew I was going to live in Switzerland. I love the condo. They've been the best. So it's been great. Right. Could be happier. So let's talk a little bit about, you know, you enjoying this, this relative new freedom. You know, just being able to try everything, knowing there's no match coming up, knowing there's no, you know, even for your body, you just like wake up the way you wake up and do your thing.

You posted a video on Instagram hitting a golf ball. Right. And say again, have you played golf much? I wouldn't say I've played golf. I'll say I've hit a golf book. I don't think what I what I did wasn't playing. I am terrible. I also don't get it to be honest with you. I really love learning tennis and I still play when I get a chance. Good. I enjoy it. Yeah, golf. I never, you know, but you posted the video. Yeah. And is this what?

So first of all, how new are you at it really because it was flawless? No, I know it looked good, but it looked very good, but those balls, you know, they have a way to slide over. That's funny. Oh my god. But I've played throughout my life on the road. Okay. Okay. But never to the extent like we're Rafa or Henman and other players, you know, they played all the time every chance. Yeah, the golf they would do out in the game.

And me, I was especially the last, say, eight years or so, I've maybe played like three or four times. You know, my parents both liked it. They'd like to go out. So then I was like, you know, I'll never go out there and start golf. If my wife's not into it or my kids are not into it, you know, this just takes me too much time out there. And I have other things to do. I'm too busy. And anyway, my knee was crazy. So I was like, I don't need to agitate the knee.

So now in December, I was in Dubai. I was like, why don't I like take a few lessons and see how it is, you know, for the first time, maybe a lesson. I don't know. I thought that my technique was okay. But obviously I was still very, I'm still at the moment very erratic with my shots. And I'll never forget the second lesson I take, my golf coach, he tells me a golf pro, I don't know, a golf coach. He tells me, what are you thinking about when you stand over the ball like that?

I'm like, I mean, I hope it goes straight, you know? You think of something else? I don't know what else I could think of. Because that is the holy grail, my friend, because I mean, you have so many things to think about, normally about your positioning, your backswing impact, and follow through. So I'm like, okay, but I find that. So you were already on the right path just thinking, I hope it goes straight for a lessons later.

I stand over the ball and I tell him, hey, you know what? I know what you're saying. Here I am lining up and everything's like ultra tense. It's not relaxed anymore. I'm not even thinking about where I'm hitting the ball. I just want the backswing to be okay. And the impact and the follow through and it's wild. Golf is so technical. And you know, you stand there and you can take so much time. It seems so much time. So everything is what is actually not right.

And tennis, you're kind of always on the move. It's like we would be tinkering with our serve for life. I mean, of course you get nuts, you know, just, you know, doing the same position. And you're like, no, let's just adjust it ever so slightly and every adjustment has an impact. So anyway, why I like golf is going out. And then especially everybody started to play as well, the kids, Miracan, everything. And I just really thought also for philanthropy, you know, for maybe the foundation stuff.

I know that maybe through golf, I could be out there because maybe tennis. I can't always be out there, but it gives you a chance to maybe have some fun golf events. I could join or I could do it with my foundation. And I could play for the rest of my life, so why not take some lessons. And that's what I'm going through right now. Let's talk a little bit about another aspect of the film that for me, really, I think is one of the main pillars of who Roger Federer is.

You can't watch this documentary and not think about how important relationships are. You know, when you're watching the final 12 days of your career, one of the scenes that is, I mean, everyone's probably going to cry when they watch it. And it's a good cry is watching you and the team. And it's like team Europe and you're saying goodbye. And this whole thing. And everyone is cried. You know, you've taken center stage and you've spoken and Ruffa's crying.

And you're walking into the change rooms together. And then Ruffa goes off and he goes off into another one because he still cried. And he's so emotional. This maybe is something that I think is not just a beautiful testament to you, but it's an interesting look at relationships and how we think of them. There is no great arrival in your career than Ruffa on the Dell.

Yeah. You know, this is the person who was always between you and another grand slam, another grand, and obviously no vac came in time. But you and Ruffa, we think of us being synonymously, you know, head to head all the time. You wouldn't think in most stories that the person who would cry more than you would be your number one quote unquote rival. And yet it seems like it wasn't necessarily a rivalry. It seems like it was a competition and there's a love as brothers.

Tell me a little bit about that relationship and how you were still able to compete at the highest level against somebody like that. Beat them, have them beat you, but then still have that love between you. So I think what I like about the story of now take tennis as a whole. Sure, we can take Ruffa, but we can also take Novak or Murray or Brinker, whoever we want to take.

But let's say take Ruffa to come through a career of 25 years or 15, whatever, it's long, a lot of matches, a lot of tough battles. Like you said, you know, you win some, you lose some, some you don't like them, you don't like them, then you like them again, then you don't like his team, or you don't like his coach, and then they have a problem with you and you said something, he said something, and you know, there's always this agitation, but actually there's mutual respect and so forth.

And then to come out at the end of it all and actually be like, high five, that was cool. That stuff was cool. And you know what, we can't wait to maybe hang out more in the future, or hopefully we'll see each other again down the road and be on a rocking chair one day and we'll look back and go like, that was fun and thank you.

And I said that as well in the commencement speech yesterday, I thanked all the players for making me better and showing me my flaws, you know, for making me hopefully better, not just a tennis player, but also a better person, you know. That's beautiful.

So I think this last 12 days, you know, that we're going to see coming out now, is a beautiful story as a whole, I think, for that message, because I think a lot of time we tell the other, you know, as a coach or a father or whoever it is, you have to be tough and you've got to be taken down and you've got to beat him up and you've got to be wanting to win. And you've got to show everybody and you can't beat nicest. And so I'm like, yeah, I get it, but it's just tennis or sports.

And come on, let's be friendly and nice to one another. And we can do it in a good way, in an elegant way, I always call it. So I think that moment shows that in a perfect way, like you said, the segue from the court, we come into the locker room and I just felt it was very important for me to also tell all the other players that they ended up being these co-stars in this movie, which was never supposed to be one.

And I just wanted to let them know, because I didn't know at the time this was going to be a movie. I just wanted to let them know. Thank you for being here. Thank you for, I hope you know how much this means to me that you guys are all here and you came to my last game, even though at the time when they signed up, they didn't know it was going to be my last game, maybe. And it's like you would have to ask them if they're happy they were to be there.

And I think Rafa, maybe in particular, he was not ready for it to go down. So emotional and so crazy. He just wanted to like, I'll play doubles with you and be great and we'll be there. And it will be, you know, that emotional at the end, you know. But I think we nobody knew that it was going to be disentenced, because I think there was this beauty. We had this moment where we could just take it all in. Right.

Our careers were flashing in front of our eyes, especially for them who are still going. They're like, we are so fortunate. I think all of us that we are living as a tennis player, we're so fortunate to still be going. Hopefully, you know, no back can go on a crush every record. I mean, hopefully Murray can play as long as his hip allows him to. And he still has the hunger. Rafa knew that he was in a tough spot as well. And he hopes that he can still win as much as possible.

Yeah. And here I am, they're one of their big rivals going out and seeing it at live in slow motion, almost go out. And it was tough. And that's why I think the movie was going to be really beautiful of showing that. And I hope actually, in many ways, that many future great athletes, or not so great, doesn't matter, will maybe give us that glimpse into the retirement moment.

Because we don't know how maybe a former one driver, rugby player, a golfer, how they retire, what they have to go through on that final stretch when you head into retirement at a young age. You know, I mean Jim asked to do it at 20 something years old. You know, I now had the chance to play till 40, 41. You know, so I think everybody does it in their way. So I think like I said, there's these beautiful moments like in the locker room, super raw, super unexpected as well in many ways.

But it was, it's again, it's that beautiful sign of camaraderie. I know we're a team at the Labour Cup. But still, for me to be able to tell them in a very strong moment, was actually at the press conference like a couple of days earlier, if you remember, where I talk about I am so happy, where I grabbed a mic one more time, and I just had to say it in front of everybody here, I am sitting with, I mean, Borg and Rafa Novak, Andy and Casper and Mateo and Cameron.

And everybody was there, and I'm just saying how happy I am that I get to go first. You know, and it's not like Rafa retiring before me or Novak or Andy, but actually I go first. Like it's supposed to be because I am five, six years older than them. I hear what you mean. It would have been painful for me to see one of them go first because of injury. So I was supposed to be going first. Yeah. I had a career without them in the beginning early years, and they should have one without me too.

So I just felt it was important for them to hear that, the press, for them to hear that. And I just thought it was a, for me, a very strong emotional moment. You can see it how, then when I walk out from the press conference, I'm like, Oh, God, this was a brutal press conference. But you know, we're getting closer to the match, though, we're almost done.

So, so, so, let me ask you this, when you have that kind of support, you know, when you have that comradery, like where do you, where do you find it now? Because while tennis took a toll on your body, it also gave you something on an emotional level. It gave you something on a mental level. Where do you search for that now? Where do you find it? So I'm happy that we always kept a really nice group of friends throughout the world, but also in Switzerland. I always have my roots down.

I think that I can really thank my wife as well, especially to always keep in touch with everybody. Yeah. Because I always worry for players, and when players ask, seek me for advice, or, you know, you mentor them sometimes, or they're in a tough spot. They always tell me, you know, remember to keep in touch with your friends, because one day you're going to be injured or your career is over, you're going to come home, what are you going to come home to?

You know, an apartment, and that's it, a house. I mean, but a house with no people or an apartment with no friends around is going to be... It's not a home. It's not a home. So I feel like that's now where our big focus is as well. And that's why I was talking about like taking a bit of a break. Maybe it's not a real break, but you know what I'm saying?

No, no, no, it is actually going to weddings, going to birthday parties, going to things that I could never do, and actually catching up with that, but also maybe giving my friends their time now, because they invested so much time in me, I know they love the trip to Wimbledon and come to London and then come watch a game of me. I know and I organize a ticket and so forth, but they still took their vacation. They took time out to come see me play.

And I now return the favor by going, just trying to see a lot of my friends and my friends. And I feel like I get a lot of energy and a lot of happiness from that. Well, Roger, before I let you go, there's the question that I want to ask you, the question that I love to ask everybody on the podcast is what now? And it could apply to everything, it could apply to anything. I'm selfishly curious about this. One is the what now for your career.

When we first sat down and had like a real conversation like this, was literally my final 12 days of the Daily Show. That's right, you know? And then second last guess? Yes, second to last guess. No, I think you were the last, you might have been the last guess actually. How did that feel for you? Did it like the end end? Did it also feel emotional? Were you like, so, I actually, this is great. Happy. So, this is the way I think, and I would love to know how you view it.

I think any ending that is good should leave you with a little bit of mourning or regret. Yeah. Any ending that is good, anything that is ended when it should end, should have you just yearning a little bit for more? Yes. When I was leaving the Daily Show, I wasn't like, good riddance. There was a part of me going, and maybe it would have, maybe I should just a little bit more, but I think that's what it should be.

If you're leaving anything, a relationship, a job, a career and sport, and you're like, oh, thank God it's good. Then I'll give you two late. Yes, yes, you've overstayed. You know, so definitely for me it was, and then just like you, you know, there was a whole period in between where we couldn't really do much in those strikes and everything. Oh yeah. And then we won the Emmy for the show. So it was like, we got to come back and celebrate that. There you go.

And it's like, you know, you going back to Wimbledon, being in the space, but not being in the space, comes with a different feeling. You get to feel new emotions. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's super distant, but like, exactly. And the same way we talk about the documentary now, is like, you get to live that moment again, but not be in it. Yeah. Which is an interesting way to feel. So I guess like, yeah, what now for you as Roger the person, like, because really the sky is the limit.

Yeah. So what now, I think I'm still in a search mode. I'm not exactly sure what it's going to be like. I've been trying to like, explain before protect the schedule a little bit. Make sure I'm a dad, you know, boys are 10, girls are 14. It's a big deal right now. I feel like it's an important time for me to be around and support them, help them. So going through the schedule with America and with the kids making sure we do all of that stuff as much as we can.

Right. Well, I think is a huge priority for me. And then while we do that, of course, try to have fun with other projects that we're working on. You mentioned so many. We're also working on an Assylene project, you know, that comes out a table, a coffee table book in September. Okay. Launch going to be in New York, actually. So I'm looking forward to that. And then I think as we move forward, you know, I think I think I will know more.

Let's say in a year's time or so because I feel like I'm still a little bit in. Let's relax. Let's enjoy ourselves, but have some cool projects and take that on. So that's going to be a definitely, you know, a priority for me as well. So pretty late back, you know, always see what is the tennis space doing for me. Problem is, I think either you're a coach, mentor or you are a, well, journalist or let's say commentator.

Yeah. I just don't see myself doing that quite yet because I just don't have the time, you know, with next to being there for my children. So, so really a bit of a transition phase too. And I think it's a good spot to be in. It's a great spot. Yeah, it's a great spot. Would you accept it? It's a great spot. Yeah. Yeah. And whereas I feel like if I look back maybe nine months ago, I wasn't so sure. I just felt like I need to dive into the next project. Yeah. Yeah. Maybe not.

Was I, was I supposed to go there? I feel like where everywhere I go right now, I feel like I'm having a great spot. I feel like I'm happy to be there. That's amazing, man. Well, great. Roger, congratulations again. You know, and then thank you for sharing it with us. Yeah. I do think it's wonderful for people to see all sides of a career that affected them in such a wonderful way. So, this is really great. Thank you, my friend. Thank you. Love being on the podcast. Well done.

Thank you for YouTube, man. Thank you very much. What now with Trevinoa is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions and Full Well 73. The show is executive produced by Trevinoa Ben Winston, Sonaziamine and Jodi Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackel, Marina Henke and Claire Schlotter, our producers. Music, mixing and mastering by Hannah Sproul. Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now.