Federer: Twelve Final Days(2024)

Plot Summary

• On 14 September 2022, after a 24-year tennis career, Roger Federer films his retirement announcement video. The next day, the announcement is released to the public. Roger was struggling with injuries and surgeries for the past 3 years. He was starting to get fluid in his knees when he returned to training. He still felt pain in his knees after his surgery. Roger knew that going for a surgery was the beginning of the end. First 9 months after the operation were good, but then the pain started, and it never got better after that.Roger lost to Novak in the Semi Finals of the 2016 Australian Open. He was starting bath for his kids when his knee popped. Back in Switzerland they found that his meniscus was causing problems. He got operated on in 2020. The left knee had to be operated on twice due to complications. Roger felt that he came back to competitive tennis too quick. He started losing matches and his family suffered seeing him on the court, not being able to play like he was used to. Roger knew he could not win the Grand Slams anymore and it was almost a relief for the family for Roger to come to that conclusion. Roger had 4 surgeries before the end of his career.Roger was 41 years old and had played over 1500 matches in his professional career. Roger started as a ball kid in his hometown of Basel. Roger is married to Mirka. His kids are Leo, Lenny, Charlene and Myla. Mirka and Roger met when he was 18 years old. They met on the tennis circuit. Then they started travelling together on tours. Mirka and Roger liked being on the road and enjoyed every moment.Tony Godsick is Roger's manager and agent. His friend is Mary Joe Fernandez, who is with Roger at the time of the announcement. Before the media drop, Roger personally calls and informs all his friends about his decision to quit active tennis. His parents are Lynette and Robert Federer, and sister Diana Federer.Federer arrives in London for his final tournament, the Laver Cup, where he will be playing for Team Europe alongside Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal, under captain Bjorn Borg. He is not playing the singles matches, and only doubles. Roger used to hate the gym, but now he admits that he is going to miss it. The Laver Cup was conceptualized by Roger to honor Rod Laver, and Roger's own contemporaries. The format was kept similar to the Ryder cup in Golf.Roger won the boys tournament at Wimbledon when he was 16 years old. He has been going there for 25 years now. The Laver Cup was also organized in London. The tennis world was dominated by Roger and Rafael, and Novak had to make his own space in between the 2 stalwarts. Novak and Roger played together for the first time in Monaco in 2006. Roger says that Novak had a lot of technical flaws to begin with (an extreme forearm grip, and a non-fluid backhand), but then he ironed out those issues and turned into an amazing player. Novak was a lot more expressive than Roger and showed that he wanted to win at all costs. In comparison, Roger was cool and composed, even when he was losing. Roger appreciated Novak for turning up for the Laver Cup, even though Roger was retiring.John McEnroe is the captain of Team World. 2 days before the final match, Roger faces the media for the first time after announcing his retirement. Roger promises his fans that he won't disappear from tennis. Bjoern Borg retired at the age of 27 and didn't come back to Wimbledon for 25 years. Bjorn first spoke to Roger in 2001, when he defeated Sampras at Wimbledon. Sampras was going for his 6th title and Bjorn thanked him for protecting his record.Roger told Nadal about his retirement 10 days ahead of time and requested to play a doubles match with him for one last time. Nadal immediately accepted. Roger had mentored Nadal as a young player, and they started off as friends. But then Nadal started beating Roger on court and the rivalry started. Throughout this, they played hard on court, and remained to be the best of friends off it. Even Nadal was struggling with injuries and for a while he thought he would be the first to retire among him, Novak and Roger. Roger is glad that he retired first as he is 6-7 years older than the rest and he wanted the others to have a career without him. The younger generation now respects the older guys due to the trend set by Nadal and Roger. The locker room is now a much more fun and relaxed place to be, than it has ever been.Roger is an emotional person and several times during the last few days on tour he came close to tearing up. As he walks out on to the court for a final time, Roger remembers all his days as a player, the way he would get ready, putting on the socks and the bandanna and getting the strings on his racket just right.On 23 September, Roger plays his final match, a doubles match partnering Nadal, his greatest rival, against Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock. Roger and Nadal win the first set, but then Roger starts making mistakes and they lose the second. The third set is a tiebreak of 10 points, instead of a full set. Serving at match point in the deciding tiebreak, Federer commits an unforced error, equalizing the score. Tiafoe and Sock eventually win the tiebreak, and Federer's career is officially completed.Through tears, Federer hugs his teammates amid uproarious applause by the crowd. Nadal is overcome by emotion, knowing that he will never be able to play against his greatest rival again. Federer gives an emotional farewell speech thanking his wife, Mirka, and his entire family. In a final interview, he states that he is happy knowing that he made a "profound big impact" on tennis.

Storyline

• On 14 September 2022, after a 24-year tennis career, Roger Federer films his retirement announcement video. The next day, the announcement is released to the public. Federer arrives in London for his final tournament, the Laver Cup, where he will be playing for Team Europe alongside Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal, under captain Björn Borg. On 23 September, he plays his final match, a doubles match partnering Nadal, his greatest rival, against Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock. Up a match point in the deciding tiebreak, Federer commits an unforced error, equalizing the score. Tiafoe and Sock eventually win the tiebreak, and Federer's career is officially completed. Through tears, Federer hugs his teammates amid uproarious applause by the crowd. Nadal is overcome by emotion, knowing that he will never be able to play against his greatest rival again. Federer gives an emotional farewell speech thanking his wife, Mirka, and his entire family. In a final interview, he states that he is happy knowing that he made a "profound big impact" on tennis. — over_the-world