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In the first big conversation after his resignation, Roger Federer thanks his fans and remains true to his image: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s much more important to be nice,” he says.
“When I formulated the text for my resignation, I had a big knot in my stomach.” This is how Roger Federer describes the moment when he announced the end of his picture-perfect career to the tennis world via social media. It was a decision that he had been carrying around with him for over two months, he says on “Gredig direct”.
At Wimbledon I still believed that I would play again next year.
The moment came shortly after his last match in Wimbledon, says the tennis star in an interview with Urs Gredig. “At Wimbledon I still believed that I would play again next year, but in the weeks that followed I realized that I could no longer maintain the level with this knee.”
He was amazed that not a single journalist addressed his knee problems after the defeat. That is probably one of his strengths next to the pitch, says Roger Federer. “I was obviously always good at hiding my weaknesses.”
Right time to resign
The decision hurts, but he knows that he is right. Actually, the last five years have been a kind of supplement, Federer makes it clear. Since the injury to the meniscus, he has repeatedly found himself at the point where he has noticed that things are no longer quite as they used to be.
You don’t have to stop when a fairy tale is still going on.
But he is now happy that it is now outside, the time is right. “You don’t have to stop when a fairy tale is still going on,” says the exceptional Swiss player. Even if you hear that a lot, it was always clear to him that you don’t necessarily have to stop at the peak of your career.
According to Federer, criticism is needed
Roger Federer wouldn’t be Roger Federer if his entourage didn’t have their place. He made this clear once again in an interview with Urs Gredig. Without his family, his coaches, his close associates, the epic Federer tennis fairy tale would never have been possible. The culture of criticism is also central to this, and he also allowed it to cost something.
“I paid my team to criticize me too. I always allowed them to tell me the truth.” Superstars are often no longer contradicted, but Roger Federer is convinced that this is important.
Even if modesty at first glance seems difficult to match with a multi-millionaire, Federer once again manages to leave a sympathetically modest impression in conversation.
And when the greatest tennis star of all time says: “I never wanted to be perfect, but I always wanted to remain authentic and be myself”, then you even believe him. After all, the following words were on the website right at the beginning of his career: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” (It’s nice to be important, but it’s much more important to be nice).
Farewell to the fans
One of Federer’s niceties is respect for his fans. King Roger reveals that he wants to be there for them in the future. It is clear to him that the game at the Laver Cup will not be the last appearance.
Roger Federer emphasizes that his great wish is that he can continue to hold such “exhibition matches” in the future, not least to say goodbye to his fans.