Roger Federer makes brutally honest admission when asked if he misses tennis
Roger Federer made the honest confession that he does not really miss tennis and declared that he feels at peace with his retirement from the sport.
The great Swiss declared he “squeezed the lemon out” of his professional career because he knows his knee, body and mind “don’t allow me to be out there”, but revealed he still loves playing tennis with his family.
Federer brought down the curtain on his incredible 24-year career at the 2022 Laver Cup, with his biggest rivals Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all in attendance as members of Team Europe.
The 20-time major winner shared the court with Nadal for his final match as the pair joined forces to play doubles at the team event he founded, which was held in London that year.
The former world No 1 fittingly played the last match of his singles career at the Wimbledon Championships, where he lost to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals in 2021.
Federer holds the all-time men’s record for singles crowns at the All England Club with eight, having secured his maiden Grand Slam title there in 2003. He won his last major at the 2018 Australian Open.
The 42-year-old underwent three surgeries on his right knee between 2020 and 2021, with the injury largely restricting him from competing after the 2020 Australian Open.
READ MORE: Roger Federer makes Rafael Nadal confession as he recalls moment he ‘created a monster’
In an interview with GQ Sports, Federer explained why he is so at peace in his life after tennis when asked if he misses the sport.
“Not really, actually. Yeah, I get that question a lot, and I don’t miss it. I really don’t. I feel really at peace. I think it’s also because I know that my knee and my body and my mind don’t allow me to be out there,” he said.
“Do I feel like, ‘Oh, I could hit that shot?’ Yeah, okay: maybe I could right now. But I feel like I squeezed the lemon out. I tried everything I had. And I’m so at peace. I love to go to play tennis when I play with my children.
“I just booked a court with my wife for the first time in my life. We asked, ‘Is a court available on Tuesday from three to four maybe?’ Because I think it’d be maybe fun to go play.
“This was like a month ago, or two months ago, and we went to play next to my kids, who were having a lesson, and it was just so much fun.
“I love playing tennis and I always thought, How is that moment going to be when I retire and I go back on a tennis court and actually don’t have to improve? Who cares if I miss a forehand? Who cares if it’s getting better or not?”
The 103-time ATP title winner also addressed whether he allowed himself to picture retirement while he was still playing on the tour.
“I mean, a hundred percent you have flashes as you sit in the car on the way to training or something and you look outside and think, ‘Okay, how is retirement going to be?’ Or: ‘Where am I going to retire? How am I going to retire? How much longer can I play?’,” Federer recalled.
“Those questions naturally pass your mind as you think about your life and you think about your kids and where the journey’s going to go. But I think every player has that.
“I’ve been asked about retirement since 2009 when I won the French Open and I tied Sampras’s record [of 14 Grand Slams]. People say, ‘So what else is there to achieve?’ I’m like, yeah, ‘Good question. I dunno. But I love playing and we’ll see where it takes me.'”
READ MORE: Roger Federer discusses Novak Djokovic’s success and Rafael Nadal’s injury struggles
