July 05, (THEWILL) – Former tennis champion, Roger Federer, has opened up about his feelings towards retirement from the sport, admitting he had been dreading the moment long before he actually retired.
THEWILL recalls that the 20-time Grand Slam winner bid farewell to tennis last summer at the O2 Arena in London. Federer’s final match was a memorable doubles encounter alongside his great rival, Rafael Nadal, with other tennis legends such as Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in attendance. Despite initially planning a return to the tour after knee surgeries, the Swiss star eventually called it quits, and the Laver Cup farewell exceeded his expectations, becoming “everything and more” for him.
As he transitioned from player to spectator, Federer was recently honoured at Wimbledon for his remarkable achievements in the sport. The 41-year-old received a standing ovation when he made his way into the Royal Box at the All England Club, sitting alongside his wife, Mirka, and the Princess of Wales. Federer, who has eight Wimbledon titles and reached four other finals, was full of pride and happiness during the special ceremony. Apart from his own legacy, Federer is also nurturing a tennis legacy within his family, as his twin daughters and twin sons show a keen interest in the sport.
Although he refrains from taking on the role of a coach, he said: “I try to be funny, but at the same time I also try to be straight sometimes and just teach them. I come in more, I guess, as a technical coach, so I try to teach them about all the tennis racquets. I don’t think we were the crazy tennis parents who said: ‘Girls, you’ve got to go and play every day for two hours.’ But now I really start feeling it now that they are about to turn 14, they want to play more and more and more.”
In addition to his contributions to tennis, Federer’s philanthropic endeavours have also marked a significant milestone this year. The 20th anniversary of the Roger Federer Foundation is impactful in educational projects it supports in southern Africa and Switzerland. Recently, the Federer family visited Lesotho, where they spent meaningful moments with the local communities and children. As a father, Federer hopes to inspire his own children to engage in charitable work, making the trip to Lesotho even more meaningful and special for him.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
