When Roger Federer sees pictures of himself playing tennis, he struggles to realise it is him. “It’s amazing to think that I used to be out there, on the biggest stages. It almost becomes surreal that this used to be my life.”
During his 24-year career, he explains, he was “in a tunnel, riding the beautiful wave, running around the world, running on the tennis court, battling, always trying to be alert, being ready for the next press conference, the next meet and greet, posing with a fan. So when all of a sudden you detach yourself, it almost feels like it wasn’t me.”
Federer retired in 2022 aged 41, after winning 20 Grand Slams and lighting up tennis with his elegance on and off the court. He remains a gentleman, materialising with a smile on Zoom at the agreed minute for this interview. But having retired, he can now reflect on the forces that enabled his career. His reminiscences are aided by images from a slick new photo-biography, which chronicles his journey from racket-wielding blond child to shaggy-haired young pro to world’s best player, and his career-defining rivalry with Rafael Nadal. Federer has now achieved the distance to explain Federer.