Entertainment
After struggle with retirement, Federer attends Wimbledon ‘as a total fan’
By Mara Lafontaine · July 6, 2023
In brief…
- Swiss Tennis legend Roger Federer reflected on his transition to retirement in an interview with CNN, 20 years after his first Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon.
- At Wimbledon this week, Federer received a standing ovation from fans, including Kate Middleton.
- Federer's farewell was a memorable event with notable figures such as Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Rod Laver, and Stefan Edberg present alongside his team and family.
- He recently surprised fans with a musical debut, playing the shakers during Coldplay's live performance of "Don't Panic" in Zurich.
20 years after winning his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon, Swiss Tennis legend Roger Federer reflected on his transition to retirement in an exclusive interview with CNN. “It feels okay now,” Federer answered when asked about attending Wimbledon for the first time since his retirement. “Last year was hard because I was still trying to play but struggling with my knees so bad.” This year, he says, he can watch and follow tennis “as a total fan.”
When the time came for Federer’s farewell, it was everything he could have hoped for. “It ended up everything and more. For me. I thought it was beautiful.” Federer continued, “Being surrounded by Rafa [Nadal], Novak [Djokovic], Murray, [Björn] Borg, [John] McEnroe, [Rod] Laver, you name it, [Stefan] Edberg, they were all there. My team, my family. So it was it was a very, very nice end because I was really, truly dreading that moment.”
Apart from his illustrious tennis career, billionaire Roger Federer has made strides with his charity. Launched the same year he won his first Grand Slam, the Roger Federer Foundation has helped 2.5 million children across six countries in southern Africa and Switzerland.
Life after retirement for Federer is anything but mundane. Earlier this week, he received a standing ovation from fans at Wimbledon, including the Princess of Wales, Kate Midleton. He also had his music debut recently with a performance with Coldplay, where he played the shakers during the song “Dont Panic” during their performance in Zurich.