Five days after announcing his retirement, Roger Federer gave himself up to Swiss Radio Television (RTS).
It was expected and feared at the same time: Roger Federer bowed out last week, unable to recover from his last knee operation. A heartbreak mentioned this Tuesday by the main interested party on the sidelines of the Laver Cup – his last meeting this weekend in London. In an interview with RTS.
« At the time of the announcement, it was more my parents and Mirka (his wife, editor’s note) who were affected, I was a little more relaxed. Afterwards I had a tear or two but I’m happy and happy to have taken the step. I am very relieved and happy to have had the career that I hadhe breathes, listing pell-mell among his best memories “ the return to Australia in 2017 (victory in 5 sets in the final against Rafael Nadal), Roland-Garros 2009 (his only victory on Parisian clay, in the final against Robin Söderling), the first Wimbledon (in 2003 against Mark Philippoussis in the final), the victory against Pete Sampras in 2001 (in 5 sets, at Wimbledon) which was unreal. »
“My knee did not leave me alone”
However, no possible regrets; retirement had become inevitable for “Roggeur”: “ I felt at the beginning of the summer that my progress was not satisfactory, that my knee was not leaving me alone. At Wimbledon, I still believed in it, I thought it could still happen. Then I got a scan that wasn’t great, and there was no more progress. In a few days, I told myself that it was over. Honestly, I didn’t want to… »
There remains this passion for tennis, intact, which pushes him to project himself again and again in his favorite discipline: “ I would like to organize an exhibition with the players of my choice, and I hope to achieve this in the next 6 months. I myself don’t know exactly what my future will be like, but I would like not to completely distance myself from this sport which has given me everything.. »