All language subtitles for Roger.Federer.A.Champions.Journey.2023.1080p.WEB.H264-BIGDOC.[eng]

(static buzzes)

- [Narrator] Here is
the patch of grass

where Roger Federer has
made so much history.

And it started right there.

Wimbledon is the world's
oldest tournament,

and the most prestigious
of the four Grand Slams.

The one that every
player wants to win.

The club's honor board is
full of illustrious names.

And in 1998, another emerged.

Roger Federer.

When he won the Junior
Wimbledon title at 17 years old,

he never imagined the
success that would follow.

[Announcer] Roger Federer!

[Announcer 2] What?

[Announcer] Roger Federer!

Wait a minute!

Whoa, whoa!

- It is truly amazing what
I'm able to live, actually.

This life I'm living is
is quite extraordinary,

so I'm very thankful for that,

and I hope it doesn't end here.

- [Speaker] Play speaks
for itself, but to me,

the most important thing
that he's been able

to do it for so long, it's
his passion for the game.

- Well, I was hoping
that something magical

would happen at some stage.

Not this magnitude.

I don't think you
can think this far.

And if you told the people that,

"I'm coming to play Wimbledon
for the next 20 years,

I'm gonna win eight."

They're gonna go like,
"Yeah, right, whatever."

You know?

Like little Swiss kid, like,
he's lost his mind, you know?

- Number one fan, along with
millions of other people.

And I just loved the way he
played, the creativity he had,

the quietness on
the court, you know?

His footwork was so sublime.

- [Narrator] In 2003,
the former ballboy

and Junior Champion of 1998

won his first Grand Slam
title at the British Stadium,

with a masterclass victory

over giant Australian,
Mark Philippoussis.

And the rest is history.

- [Andy] What he's achieved
in the sport's incredible.

And he has inspired so many

tennis players around the world.

- [Narrator] His journey to
the top of the men's game

is the one of a true champion,

in every sense of the word.

It's a huge, huge bonus

still to be playing
tennis at this level.

My God, it's totally unexpected.

(somber violin music)

- [Narrator] The 15th
of September 2022

was a sad day for sports.

(somber violin music)

Roger Federer announced his
retirement at 41 years old,

marking the end of one of

the greatest ever
sporting careers.

- It's been also
a tough decision,

but at the same time,

also one that I could see coming
for a number of years now.

I'm old enough as
it is, and you know,

you come to crossroads
in life sometimes,

and for me, I knew I was
on thin ice for a while,

and you hope it gets better,
and it really didn't.

And then at one
point, I just said,

"Okay, it's good.
We've done well.

Last few years have
been hard enough,

and I've enjoyed
myself thoroughly."

And it's the moment to
do it, so, that was it.

- He's someone that I
watched as a kid growing up,

and was fortunate to get the
opportunity to play against.

- Probably the most
popular guy on the tour.

I mean, he has inspired

so many tennis players
around the world,

both male and female.

And as Andy said, you know,

this weekend probably is
all about the celebration

of his career.

- We'll miss him, but I'm
sure we'll see him around.

He's doing the
best for his body,

but obviously the
fans will miss him.

- His behavior inside and
outside the court, it's amazing,

and the movements
and the technique,

and for me, it's
like the best ever.

- Icon of the sport, and
if I could sum him up,

I would say he's a class
act on and off the court.

He's won so many times,

but he's a great person,
great personality.

(dramatic violin music)

[Narrator] At 36 years old,

Federer broke an
all time record,

and shook the tennis world
when he became the first man

to win an astonishing
20 Grand Slam titles,

after winning his sixth
Australian Open in 2018

with a five set victory
over Marin Cilic.

(dramatic violin music)

For those who were born to
see Federer in his glory days,

it might seem that tennis
will never be the same

after he retired.

The player kept the
spirit of the game

alive and flourishing
all these years,

with impeccable speed,
undefeated technique,

and an exceptional
all-around game,

he became one of the
most widely known names

in the world of tennis.

But how did an ordinary ballboy

become one of the most
loved faces in sports today?

(dramatic violin music)

It all started on
the tennis courts

of the city of
Basel, Switzerland.

Roger Federer was born
on August 8th, 1981,

in Basel, Switzerland,

to Swiss father Robert Federer

and South African
mother, Lynette Federer.

His mother was of Dutch
and French ancestry.

His parents exposed him to
tennis when he was a toddler,

and he played his first
tournament at eight years old.

In his early years,

Federer was just an ordinary boy

who liked to have fun on
the court during training.

But he was talented.

In the matches, he was eager,

and dreamed of becoming the
number one in the world.

It soon became clear that
the boy and the racket

were made for each other.

At 11, he ended up among the
top three junior tennis players

all over Switzerland,

and as he grew up,
so did his ambition.

He decided that tennis
would become his destiny.

- At 12 years old, I had
to sort of take a decision,

soccer or tennis,

and it was actually
quite easy, to be honest.

I was successful in soccer,

but it doesn't go at
the pace as tennis goes.

Soccer takes many more
years, and tennis,

I liked the fact that I was
the one to blame if I lost.

In soccer, I was always
kind of the bad loser,

Sometimes say, "The
goalie was so bad today,

I can't believe we lost."

You know?

And just like, that's not fair.

I need to blame
myself if I lost.

And then of course,
I chose tennis.

You know, the more I
lost, the more I cried,

and I thought the
world was gonna end.

But I do love team competition.

- [Narrator] At 14 years
old, fed moved out of home.

By then, he was training
for several hours,

participating in
different tournaments,

and getting into fitness.

This paid off.

He became Switzerland's
Junior Champion,

and won a chance to train

at the National
Swiss Tennis Center.

Something young tennis
players can only dream of.

At 16, he dropped out of school,

and decided to risk
everything on tennis.

In 1998, Federer made
his professional debut,

but sadly ended up losing
his first ever match.

However, this did not dampen
the young man's spirit.

That same year, the 16
year old from Switzerland

became Wimbledon's
Junior Champion,

following in the footsteps
of Bjorn Borg, and Pat Cash,

both winners of
Junior Wimbledon.

For those who knew him best,

it became clear that
they were witnessing

a legend in the making.

Federer's love
affair with Wimbledon

began with that Junior title.

In 1999, Federer made his
Davis Cup debut against Italy,

leading Switzerland to
its only Davis Cup title.

He became the youngest tennis
player, at 18 years old,

to end the year among
the world's top 100,

finishing that
season at number 64.

- Look, I was a very
different type of character

on the tennis court
10-15 years ago.

I had quite a transformation
from a screaming,

racket throwing,
swearing kind of brat

on the tennis court

to this calm guy you know today.

It's very strange how I've been
able to put the hammer down

at one point in my career,
and just say "That's enough."

I can't stand it watching
me throwing rackets

and embarrass myself in
front of thousands of people

in a live stadium,

so I tried to change.

Today, when the
young guys come up,

I have to say, I'm so
impressed how well they behave.

There's hardly any racket
throwing going on anymore.

Nobody is as moody
as I used to be.

So, in a way, I'm very happy
I was that way back then.

- [Interviewer] Do you
look back now and think,

"Gosh, what was I doing?"

- Yes, but at the same
time, I'm happy I did that.

Because I don't
have the urge today

to act the way I used to.

I'm just totally relaxed,

missing the easiest
of overheads,

and just turning
around, and go like,

"You know what?

I just won't miss it
next time, it's fine."

- [Narrator] In 2001, he caused
one of the biggest upsets

in Wimbledon history.

In the fourth round,

he defeated four time defending
champion, Pete Sampras,

ending the American's
unbeaten run

of 31 matches at Wimbledon.

Then, tennis quickly
went into overdrive

for the upcoming tennis star.

(lighthearted piano music)

Without ever imitating
the techniques

of those who came before him,

he managed to take what he
could from the champions,

like Sampras and Stefan Edberg.

The gifted shot maker
known for his forehand

found his own identity.

He did it his way,
and he did it right.

(calming piano music)

It was long before
his major singles win

at the 2000 Summer
Olympics in Sydney,

that Federer first
met Mirka Vavrincová,

another tennis player,

and the woman who would
become his girlfriend,

wife, and mother
of their children.

Mirka was born in
Czechoslovakia,

and moved with her
family to Switzerland

when she was two years old.

Her love for tennis
began at a young age.

At the 2002 Hopman Cup,

she paired alongside
her future husband.

She was far from
imagining that one day,

she would become a key part
of his amazing journey.

Mirka would quit the sport,
and retired at the age of 24,

due to a persistent foot injury.

After her retirement,

she became Federer's
public relation manager,

making the pair's
bond even stronger.

The couple tied
the knot in 2009,

in Federer's hometown of Basel,

and he declared,
having found in Mirka,

the best wife he could
have ever imagined.

A few months after
their wedding,

they welcomed identical twin
girls, Mila and Charlene.

The couple later had another
set of twins in 2014,

this time, twin
boys, Leo and Lenny.

The man might be a legend,

but he is also just
an ordinary dad.

And despite a hectic schedule,

he managed to spare plenty
of time for his family.

- Clearly, family's the most
important thing in life.

As I know, my wife's
been incredibly
supportive throughout,

and she's always the
backbone, you know,

and it's been great with her.

(lighthearted music)

- [Narrator] The
tennis star attributes

his longevity in the sport,
in part, to Mirka's support.

The mother of four regularly
brought their children

to her husband's matches.

She has supported Federer
throughout their relationship,

as well as his
philanthropic pursuits.

(calming music)

- Obviously, I've had an amazing
supporter in my wife today,

and with the kids now,

who makes it all work for me

to see them almost every
single day when I'm on tour,

when she travels with
the kids with me.

And that's very
important for me to keep

the motivation and
inspiration going,

to go through these
difficult times on tour

that sometimes are
just hard, you know?

The logistics, and trying
to manage everything.

It's hard, but it's so much
fun doing it all together now.

I never thought I was
gonna be playing as a dad,

and here I am,

the girls are almost three
and a half years old.

It's really, really,
truly amazing,

and I hope I can still do
it for many more years,

because I can't
get enough of it.

I think sports is a great
way of life, a great school,

a great way to understand
winning and losing, team sports,

you know, just coping
with all those things.

I think it's great.

- [Narrator] The
couple has also donated

more than $1 million
toward education in Africa,

through the Roger Federer
Foundation he founded in 2003.

Federer has been working hard
to make a real difference

in the life of
underprivileged children

all around the world,

and to help them take
control of their future

by getting access to
education, health, and sports.

As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador,

the player has been involved in

various philanthropic causes,

with a particular
interest in South Africa,

his mother's home country.

(lighthearted music)

In July, 2015, Federer
launched a new childcare center

in impoverished Malawi.

- The foundation is
10, 11 years old now.

So I've always
thought, you know,

the children are
tomorrow's future,

and I really enjoy
supporting them

and giving them an opportunity
to be able to go to school.

In this case, it will be
preschool here in Malawi.

And I think it's really
important that every child

should have this opportunity,

so I'm trying to help
as much as I can.

(mellow music)

- [Narrator] The 2003
French Open first round loss

for Federer was a pivotal
point in his career.

At 21 years old,

Federer fell in straight
sets in the first round

to Louis Horna, a Peruvian
ranked 88th at the time.

After losing his confidence,

his mental weakness caused
him to lose within 45 minutes.

The loss left a
lasting impact on him,

but he would learn from it.

And a reversal of fortunes
was just around the corner.

In 2003, Federer won his
first Wimbledon Grand Slam.

Federer described his
emotions were similar

to when he beat
Sampras, back in 2001.

A year later, he
reached the final again,

displacing Andy Roddick as
world number one in tennis,

in February 2004,

holding the position for 237
weeks in a row, until 2008.

That year, Federer went on
to win the Australian Open,

Wimbledon again, and
his first ever US Open.

(mellow inspiring music)

With consistency,
resilience, a technique,

and an instantly
recognizable image,

he set himself apart.

(inspiring mellow music)

- Well, he's been a
little bit injured

in the beginning of the season,

but he's not losing it.

He's still the number
one player in the world.

I believe at the
end of this year,

he's still gonna be the number
one player in the world.

You know, if he
has the motivation,

and stays away from injuries,

he's gonna play for another
five years in top tennis.

You know, he's
one of the greats,

and, you know, never
count Roger out.

I mean, he's a person
who always give 100%.

He wants to win.

He's very professional
at what he's doing,

so, coming into Wimbledon
for Roger, his main ambition,

his main goal is to try
to defend that title.

- I think I've done a good
job of staying who I am.

You know, there's the same
guy as back in the day.

I had to adapt to
a new situation,

being so famous, so
recognized, I guess.

And it's it's difficult to
get used to that recognition,

and the awareness that
everybody might know you,

and especially in this day
and age with social media,

and everybody having a
phone almost, with pictures,

it becomes tricky, you know?

But I think I've been able
to remain the person I am,

and I stay very grounded,

so I don't see that sex
symbol kind of guy anyway,

and I don't feel that way.

I feel like a normal guy

who just happens to
be quite successful.

- [Narrator] It was with
the help of Peter Carter

that Federer became
the player he is today.

The Australian coach discovered
the child prodigy in Basel.

After seeing a huge
potential in him,

he took him under his wing,

and became a mentor to
the upcoming tennis star.

Carter used to rave about
him to his friends back home,

and one of those
was Darren Cahill,

who himself was coaching
a prodigy of his own,

called Lleyton Hewitt.

The two would play
each other many times

throughout their careers,

with Hewitt becoming one of
many players out to get Federer.

Who knew they would both
become Wimbledon champions,

and world number one.

Carter was said to have

a powerful calming
influence on Federer,

who initially struggled
to get to grips with life

as a touring professional.

He can also thank him

for that masterful
one handed backhand.

However, tragedy struck in 2002,

when Carter was
killed in a car crash

while on his honeymoon with
his wife in South Africa.

Federer was destroyed.

(somber piano music)

Fast forward to 2019,

Federer spoke about the
mentor's influence on his life.

- What do you think
he would've thought

to see you here now
with 20 Grand Slams?

Sorry.

- (Roger sobs)
- It's okay.

I'm sorry.

I hope he would be proud.

I guess he didn't want me
to be a wasted talent, so...

I guess it was somewhat
of a wake up call for me

when he passed away.

(somber piano music)

- [Narrator] He started
to train harder,

which drove him to win his
first Grand Slam in 2003,

11 months after Peter's death.

- Today was Roger Federer's
first Wimbledon final,

his first Grand Slam win.

Nobody thinks for a second
that it will be his last.

He's always been tipped
as a future champion,

and today he showed why.

- Roger Federer,
Wimbledon champion.

You better get used to that.

(Roger laughs)
(audience cheers)

Thank you.

No, it's an absolute dream
for me coming through,

and I was always joking
around when I was a boy,

"I'm gonna win this."

And...

(reporter laughs)
Now I have it!

(audience claps)

- [Interviewer] You're not
gonna let them take that away

for a while, are you?

- [Narrator] Carter would
sadly not go on to witness

the greatness that
Federer achieved.

(melancholic music)

In 2005, always in
control, he came through,

and proved that he was
still the best on the grass

when he went on to win Wimbledon

for his third consecutive
Wimbledon title,

becoming the only man since
the Open Era began in 1968

to win three consecutive
Wimbledon titles.

However, the French Open
proved problematic for Federer.

The tournament of Roland Garros

is the only one of
the four Grand Slams

ever to be played on clay,

the game's slowest surface.

Although Federer was
the best on grass,

it was a different story
across the English Channel.

He made his debut there in 1999,

but it would take him seven
years to reach the final.

But by now, he had
a goal and a target.

At the French Open
final in 2006,

he faced defending champion
and Spanish sensation,

19 year old Rafael Nadal,

who would become
his biggest rival.

Nadal seemed to be
fitter, fresher,

and just a better
player on clay.

On that day, Nadal
won three sets to one,

and it was Federer's first
defeat in a Grand Slam final.

Less than a month later,

the two came face to face again
at the final in Wimbledon.

It was Nadal's first
appearance there.

If Nadal lost, Federer would
become the only third male

to win the title in
four years running.

Federer had lost on clay,

but on grass, he was the king.

One of the biggest, I think,

challenges that a
professional tennis player

can face in today's tennis

is the transition from clay
courts to grass courts,

from the slowest to
the fastest surface.

On clay, there's a lot
of sliding, high bounce.

It's just a completely
different surface.

Grass, lower bounce,

not as fast as it was
maybe 20 years ago.

It's very hard to break
a serve of your opponent

on the grass court.

So, it is a very
demanding surface,

and requires a lot of
attention, a lot of work.

- [Narrator] He won
his fourth consecutive

Wimbledon singles title.

The young Spanish star had
sparked up the greatest rivalry

since Bjorn Borg
and John McEnroe.

The following year
didn't prove to be

quite fruitful for Federer.

In 2007, Nadal
defeated Federer again

on the final of the French Open.

But the Swiss didn't have
long to wait for revenge.

Federer showed his class.

Wimbledon gave him the chance
to equal beyond Borg's record,

by winning the title
five years in succession.

Throughout the years, this
cycle of epic battles,

losing and then revenge
winning, would go on.

(dramatic music)

(audience claps)

- Ladies and gentlemen,
from Mallorca!

- [Narrator] 2008 was, by
Federer's lofty standards,

one of his worst years on tour.

The world number one lost in
the Australian Open semifinal

to Novak Djokovic at
the start of the year.

He then lost in the finals

at both Roland Garros and
Wimbledon, to Rafael Nadal.

And then, to add
insult to injury,

Nadal took over as
the world number one,

ending Federer's record run
of 237 consecutive weeks

atop the rankings.

Federer's dream of a record six

successive Wimbledon
titles was dashed.

But, he would learn
from his loss.

- I guess you do have
incredible confidence

in yourself sometimes,

but then also big doubts.

Whereas if you see
another player,

all you see is his
strength and weaknesses

as, you know, more just
like on the surface,

so you don't know
truly how confident

or how worried he is
about his own game.

So, sometimes it's a
bit of a chess game,

or I don't wanna say you pretend

like you're super fit
or you're super tired.

You try to maybe sort of fake
the guy out a little bit,

because what the other guy sees

might affect the way he plays.

- [Narrator] At
the 2008 US Open,

Federer won his fifth
consecutive US Open

against Andy Murray,

and 13th Grand Slam.

Not only did Federer equal
Sampras's achievement,

but he would soon overtake him.

- These tennis fans have
just seen Roger Federer

prove yet again
that on this day,

he's too much for anyone.

Nonetheless, Andy
Murray has learned a lot

here at Flushing Meadows.

At times he played
brilliant tennis,

tennis of a caliber
that suggests

he'll be contesting
more Grand Slam finals.

- Yes, I'd like to think
of this Slam, you know,

being the Slam I got
five in a row, really.

I mean, I know that 13 is a
strange number, funny number,

whatever you want
to think of it,

I don't wanna get stuck at 13.

That's the last
thing I want to do.

But I'd love to, you know,
break Sampras's record,

but at the moment, I think
the joy is right there.

Just having won a Grand Slam

for the first time
this year again,

and having, you know, kept the
run alive here at the Open.

I'm not number one in the
world anymore, you know?

But this is definitely the best
reaction I could do is like,

you know, win again
here in New York,

and just make things
more easy again for me,

you know, especially
in the press room.

It was tough
sometimes, you know,

just answering kinda
stupid questions sometimes.

But now it's more easy again,

and I think for the
rest of the year,

things are gonna
be more relaxed.

- [Narrator] His
attempt at number 14

came at the French
Open in June, 2009.

The elusive French Open,

the only Grand Slam
he had left to win,

had proved to be his nemesis.

This time, when he
reached the final

for the fourth consecutive year,

having lost the
previous three to Nadal,

Federer faced Nadal's conqueror,

Sweden's Robin Soderling.

The defending champion
had been knocked out

in the fourth round.

Nadal's absence inspired and
boosted Federer's confidence.

Exactly 10 years after his
debut at the tournament,

Federer finally made it.

He became the only third
man in the Open Era

to win all four majors.

This was one of the most
emotional wins of his career,

as he was tied with
Pete Sampras's record

for 14 Grand Slam wins.

I've come a long way.

And to get it at the end as
the last remaining Grand Slam,

it's an incredible feeling,

and I'm of course very
proud at this moment.

- [Narrator] And the
prizes just kept on coming.

Less than a month later,
at Wimbledon Center Court,

Federer clinched that
historic 15th Grand Slam.

Right now, Roger's king again.

They were writing
him off too soon,

which is what usually
happens with great champions,

and he's one of the
greatest of all time.

It's just really hard
to compare people

of different generations.

How do you compare Suzanne
Lenglen to a Margaret Court?

How do you compare Bill
Tilden to Rod Laver,

to Pete Sampras,
to Roger Federer?

They didn't play each other.

Well, Roger and Pete did.

But that was, you know, Roger
wasn't quite as good yet,

and Pete was going down.

So, one of the
greatest of all time,

and perhaps the
greatest of all time.

- [Narrator] At the
2010 Australian Open,

Roger Federer lifted his
16th Grand Slam trophy,

after winning his fourth
Australian Open title.

In 2011, he went without
a Grand Slam title

for the first time
in nine years,

after falling to Djokovic
in the semifinals

of both the Australian
Open and the US Open,

and to Nadal in the
Roland Garros final.

- I think we actually
almost appreciate

that the other person
exists and plays so well,

because it actually brings
the best out of you.

And I've had a harder time

when more and more
rivals were coming up,

because I always thought,

"I don't need those guys.

I'm just happy to dominate
and play so well."

But it's nice having
all these group of guys

at the top right now.

And, you know, we've played
over what, 20-30 times?

And many times we've seen the
fair play of the other person,

and I think because of that,

we really, truly respect
each other a lot.

At the end of the day,

I just try to play
tough and fair,

and then may the better guy win.

(calming piano music)

- [Narrator] In July, 2012,
the sixth time champion

beat Andy Murray in the
Wimbledon's men's final,

emerging victorious after a
three and a half hours game.

- For me, playing against
a Brit in the final,

it's something that just
can never be taken away,

and I don't take it for granted,

so I'm happy we lived
up to the expectations,

and were able to
play a great match.

I fought back, and then
with the rain delays,

who knew what was
gonna happen then?

So I thought he put a brave...

Put in a hero heroic
effort, really.

And I hope he's not
too disappointed today
when he wakes up,

because he should be actually
very proud of his performance.

- [Reporter] At Wimbledon,
much of the crowd

was filled with
well known faces,

many of whom felt they'd
witnessed a future winner.

- He played
brilliantly, actually.

And yeah, as predicted really.

[Reporter] And Roger Federer?

Huh?

- [Reporter] How do
you think Roger played?

Classy as always.

- Yeah, Murray could've
done it, couldn't he?

Let's face it, in
the second set,

he had all those break
points, he was almost there.

So what it tells me is next
year, he's gonna be there.

- [Reporter] Well, do you
think you're the best?

No.

I think the comparing the
generations and the eras

and amateurs before
the professionals now,

it is impossible to compare
anyway in the first place,

and our life has started to
been dominating by the media,

who say, "Okay, you
have to achieve this,

you have to break that record,

and you have to move on,

and then you haven't won
this yet, so please do that."

That's not how it works.

I didn't come into this
game to achieve everything.

(mellow piano music)

- [Narrator] Federer suffered
setbacks during his career,

due to mostly back
and knee injuries.

Although he was battling
crippling back pain

that laid him low in 2014,

Federer won his first, and
only, Davis Cup against France,

one of the oldest and most
prestigious events in sports.

You feel great emotions,

you're unbelievably
happy and relieved.

You know, we wanted
this clearly very badly,

especially being two-one.

You inch yourself
closer and closer,

and clearly seeing
Stan out there,

and the rest of the team
supporting you, you push extra.

So it was definitely one
of the better feelings

in my career, no doubt about it.

- [Narrator] By 2016, he was
the 17th Grand Slam champion,

but he suffered a torn meniscus

after losing to Novak Djokovic

in the Australian
Open semifinals.

Shortly after losing in the
Wimbledon semifinals in July,

he withdrew from the remainder
of that tennis season.

But he was never one to
back down from challenges.

- World number one is a
tough place to get to.

We saw it with a lot of players
that struggle to get there,

or to get it back at one point,

because you gotta play a lot,

you gotta be successful,
you gotta be healthy.

And that over a 365 day period.

So, yeah, no, this is not
something I actually aimed for

when I came back
from my surgery,

so I'm unbelievably
happy that I'm here now.

I would have regrets
if I didn't come here,

to be quite honest.

And I'm not there yet,

but I'm very excited for
tomorrow's game, naturally.

That's what I came for.

So, it's nerve wracking
to some extent,

but I need these moments if
I'm still playing tennis.

You don't want it to
be simple and relaxed

and easy all the time.

You want it to be
a little bit...

It eats you up a
little bit, you know?

It's a good feeling.

(melancholic piano music)

- [Narrator] At the 2017
Wimbledon Championship,

he came back even stronger,

proving once again that he was
the reigning king of tennis.

On 17th July, 2017 in London,

Roger Federer won
his 19th major title,

and became Wimbledon
Champion for the eighth time.

- You know, I am
turning 36 in a month,

which is where most
players have already

been retired for a long time,

so I need to just stay healthy.

I think that's for
me most important.

And you know, the not playing
bit is very tricky too,

because if you
don't play enough,

you also can get hurt again
when you play matches again.

Well, if he wasn't already,

Roger Federer now surely
has to be regarded

as the best male tennis
player of all time.

And the most amazing thing
about this achievement here

is he's done it looking as fit
and fresh as he's ever been,

and that's because he's
taken lots of rests.

[Narrator] Federer also became

the second man in the Open Era,

after Bjorn Borg in 1976,

to win Wimbledon
without losing a set,

as he won his 317th
Grand Slam singles match,

surpassing Serena
Williams' record.

His wife Mirka, and
both sets of twins

were in the stands cheering him.

(lighthearted piano music)

- Seeing them
overlooking Center Court,

down on sort of this set,
almost like a movie set,

you know, with the
trophy standing there,

their dad sitting here,
who's just won Wimbledon,

the beautiful lawn
of Center Court,

the championship has
just come to an end,

and my kids are there
seeing all of it.

Honestly, it means
so much to me.

It's hard for me to describe.

So when I saw them,
I'm just like,

"Oh my God, this is
too good to be true."

So I'm just so, so happy.

I think I definitely
got also lucky,

but I took a lot of
good decisions along
the way last year

that put me in this
position I am right now.

But like what you said,
it's a huge, huge bonus

still to be playing
tennis at this level.

My god, it's totally unexpected.

There's much more tennis coming
up this year than last year.

- [Narrator] At the
2018 Australian Open,

he gave an emotional speech,

and started tearing
up while accepting

his 20th Grand Slam title.

He then received a
standing ovation,

as tears streamed down his face.

(audience cheers)

- It wouldn't be the same
without you guys. Thank you.

Marin's team as well, you
guys work hard. All the best.

(audience cheers)

This is tough, man.

And my team, I love you guys.

Thank you.

(audience cheers)

[Narrator] At the age of 36,

he became the oldest champion
of the tournament in the era.

- Nice to see the
sunrise over Melbourne,

and get into the room.

So it was a long night,
but it was a lot of fun,

and everybody was
in such a good mood.

It was a special day, you know?

A special week really,
a couple of weeks,

and then it finished
off in a great way.

I hope to be back
next year, of course.

I love playing here,
I never missed it,

ever since '98 the Juniors,
and then the qualifying '99.

So yeah, the goal is
absolutely to be playing.

That's why I took
the six months off,

to hopefully be still playing
for a couple of years.

- [Narrator] Winning
more majors than any man,

he hoped to keep it
up for much longer

as the undisputed
leader in world tennis.

Because of a perfect record,

he was compared to tennis
legends such as Marcelo Rios,

someone Federer had
looked up to as a child.

Things seemed to have
come full circle for him.

However, more injuries
challenged Federer's
body capacity,

and the end of his
stellar career.

At Wimbledon 2019, Djokovic
beat him in the men's final.

- [Reporter] A moment
afterwards too,

to say thank you to his fans.

- Your fingers crossed
the whole way through.

The whole match was
so close, so exciting.

It was such a long match.

I feel like I've been
through five sets.

(speaker chuckles)
And more.

- I wanted both of them to win,
and of course, I was right.

One of them did.

- By next year, Roger
Federer will be almost 39,

and so a ninth Wimbledon title

may eventually prove beyond him.

For Novak Djokovic,
he'll already be thinking

just how many can
he add to his five.

- [Narrator] Federer
underwent three knee surgeries

in the space of 18 months,

the first two in early 2020,

and the most recent
after Wimbledon 2021,

when he lost in
the quarterfinals.

- I also am aware
that maybe at 38,

I shouldn't be the favorite,
or the overwhelming favorite.

It should be somebody else.

Should be somebody
probably in their twenties.

[Narrator] After a break,

the 20 Grand Slam
champion returned in 2021,

but his play was limited.

I feel okay.

I'm very tired right now,

and my legs hurt like mad,

and my back's stiff now too,

because I couldn't
take any treat...

Didn't take any treatment,
plus I was dancing.

So...
(reporter laughs)

I don't know. I feel I guess
okay, I'm still on the high.

But I'm gonna crash
eventually, but that's okay.

And I just thought
that, you know

I could probably be
dangerous for a top guy,

maybe beat one, and then
that would probably be it.

Just because the body would
start aching, which it did,

or my level would
drop, which it didn't,

and that was a big
surprise to me,

that my level was consistent.

I am 41 years old.

I've played more than 1,500
matches over 24 years.

Tennis has treated
me more generously

than I ever would've dreamt,

and I must recognize
when it is time

to end my competitive career.

Some success brought
me confidence,

and I was on my way to
the most amazing journey

that has led to this day.

So I want to thank you all
from the bottom of my heart,

to everyone around the world

who has helped make the dreams

of a young Swiss
ball kid come true.

Finally, to the game of tennis.

I love you, and will
never leave you.

(melancholic music)

- [Narrator] On
September 15th, 2022,

Federer announced his
retirement at 41 years old.

- How much of a wrench
is it to say goodbye?

It was hard.

It was hard in the first
moment, and then I ignored it.

I said I don't
wanna deal with it,

I'm just tired from
doing so much rehab.

And then once I really had to
write my letter to the fans,

to the people who
have helped me,

it got really emotional again.

- [Narrator] After
his announcement,

the tennis world paid tribute

to one of the best to
ever pick up a racket.

And Wimbledon thanked
him for the joy

he had brought to so many.

- Number one fan along with
millions of other people.

And I just loved the way he
played, the creativity he had,

the quietness on the court.

His footwork was so sublime

that I always used to say

it sort of reminded me of like,

the fingers of a concert
pianist, you know?

Just gliding across
the keyboard.

He's a genius.

I think obviously his
play speaks for itself,

but to me, the most
important thing

that he's been able
to do it for so long,

is his passion for the game.

He loves tennis, he loves
everything about it.

Of course, he likes to win and
he's an amazing competitor.

You don't get to his
level without that.

But more than any other
really great player

I've been lucky
enough to come across,

he just loves the game.

I think more than anything,

he loves to go out
there and hit the ball.

And I think that's why he
said in his final comments

that he's still gonna
be playing tennis.

He'll still play exhibitions,

and get out there with his kids,

and so he's just not gonna
play competitive tennis.

- Roger's the most
beautiful player.

So the fact that he's lasted
this long is incredible.

- What he did for
tennis was unbelievable.

And he's loved all over the
world with the fans and people,

and to see him play,
it's incredible.

- [Narrator] Federer
made such a physical game

look effortless and graceful.

With that mental determination,

he constantly
strived to improve,

and never failed to show
his love for the sport,

and desire to excel
every single time.

(melancholic music)

On September 23rd, 2022,

he played his last
retirement match

with his longtime
rival, Rafael Nadal,

at the O2 Arena in London,

and broke down in tears.

The doubles match
at the Laver Cup

was his final competitive match.

- What I heard, and the
little things that I saw,

and some titles and headlines

was very much about
me also as a person.

Less only just about
forehands and backhands

and records and tennis player,

which shows that people
really got to know me

over the years on the tour,

and I've had a wonderful time,

so this is a nice
farewell tournament

for me here in London
at the Laver Cup.

With all the guys on the team,

it's gonna be wonderful.

I'm gonna really look
forward to enjoying it.

- Federer is just the best.
- King.

- The king of tennis.
- Yeah.

- The most natural player,
the most complete player.

- And had to see his
last game, you know?

World ambassador of tennis.

And knowing he's gonna be here,

and patterning Nadal,
who's also a legend.

We just couldn't miss it.

So we're just so excited
for this doubles match.

So excited.

- Well, we feel very
lucky to be here

for such a huge event.

We're massive Roger fans,
massive tennis fans.

He's an absolute
icon of the sport,

and if I could sum him up,

I would say he's a class
act on and off the court.

He's won so many times.

But he's a great person,
great personality,

real role model for children.

And yeah, we just love him,

so very lucky to
be here tonight.

(melancholic music)

- [Narrator] This was a
vision tennis will miss.

Roger Federer on a
court for a final time.

After, Federer bid farewell,
hanging up his racket,

and retiring as
one of the greatest

tennis players in history.

(melancholic music)

(lighthearted music)

When his love of tennis started,

Federer was a ballboy in
his hometown of Basel,

who used to watch the players
with a sense of wonder.

(inspiring music)

Now, he has become
an inspiration for
countless children,

who dream of making
it big one day.

His legacy is long lasting.

With extraordinary
talent, dedication,

passion and purpose,
grace and humility,

with a great mental
approach to tennis and life,

Roger Federer created history

by climbing his way to the top,

and capturing the hearts
of millions of sports fans

all around the world.

As Roger Federer's outstanding
career came to an end,

we say goodbye to a
champion, a genius, a legend,

not just the greatest player
or greatest shot maker...

(inspiring music)

Perhaps the greatest
sportsman of all-time.

- [Roger] At the end, I guess
I believed I could do it

because of the people around me,

so I'm happy I listened to them.

[Reporter] Thank you so much.

It was lovely to speak to you.

My pleasure.

- [Reporter] Thank you.
(Roger chuckles)

(mellow string music)