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What Now? With Trevor NoahWhat Now? With Trevor Noah

Doctor Roger Federer Will See You Now | What Now? with Trevor Noah Podcast

Roger Federer and I break down how moving on from major chapters in our lives has affected us and how Roger’s desire to document the moment accidentally turned into the powerful documentary, Federer: Twelve Finals Days.

Trevor NoahhostRoger Federerguest
Sep 19, 202454mWatch on YouTube

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At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Roger Federer Reflects on Retirement, Rivalry, Family and What Comes Next

  1. Federer explains that the camera crew for his final 12 days was meant to produce footage for the family vault, and only later became a documentary, which he says was emotionally hard and vulnerable to revisit.
  2. He describes Mirka as his rock through his career, noting that she gave up playing early because of injury, supported him through his final knee struggles, and spoke to camera for the film for the first time in about 18 years.
  3. Federer and Noah discuss how he played tennis through memory, visualization and intuition, and why he enjoyed the rise of data analytics less.
  4. He describes his bond with Rafael Nadal and other rivals as mutual respect and camaraderie, saying he was glad to retire first rather than see one of them go because of injury.
  5. Now retired, Federer says he is in a search and transition phase, protecting his schedule for his kids and friends, taking golf lessons, and pursuing a few projects without pressure.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

The documentary began as private footage, not a film

Federer says he agreed to a camera team only because the footage was meant for the vault, which let him relax. His director friend Joe Sabia later urged him to share it.

Retirement brings both grief and newfound freedom

Federer and Noah agree that leaving a defining routine mixes loss with lightness, like Federer no longer rehearsing matches in his head at family time or Noah no longer needing to read the news constantly.

Federer played by feel, not by numbers

He says he focused mostly on his own game, and relied on memory of opponents and intuition. He enjoyed less the highly specific analytics of his later years, which he compared to a calibrated Formula 1 car.

Fierce rivals can also be friends

Federer says that after a long career of tough battles with Nadal and others there was mutual respect. He thanked his rivals for making him a better player and person, and argues that competition can be elegant and friendly.

Mirka was central to his career and his exit

Federer says she retired early from her own career after injury, then supported him on tour with and without children. She was relieved when his knee suffering ended.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

I tried hard, you know, when I stopped school at 16 and chased my tennis dream. I said, "Oh, I gotta do something after 16."

— Roger Federer

I always tell them, you know, "Remember to keep in touch with your friends, because one day you're maybe gonna be injured or your career is over. You're gonna come home, and what are you gonna come home to?"

— Roger Federer

A house with no people or an apartment with no friends around is gonna be not so much fun. It's not a home.

— Roger Federer

I think any ending that is good should leave you with a little bit of mourning or regret.

— Trevor Noah

I had a career without them in the beginning, early years, and they should have one without me too.

— Roger Federer

Read the available transcript
Federer: Twelve Final Days documentaryRetirement and emotional vulnerabilityMirka and family lifeRivalry and friendship with Rafael NadalVisualization and data analytics in tennisSwiss identity and authenticityLife after tennis, golf and friendships

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SPEAKERS

  • Trevor Noah

    host

    Comedian and TV host; creator and host of the podcast “What Now? with Trevor Noah.”

  • Roger Federer

    guest

    Retired Swiss professional tennis player and 20-time Grand Slam singles champion.

High quality AI-generated summary created from speaker-labeled transcript.

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