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What Now? With Trevor NoahDoctor Roger Federer Will See You Now | What Now? with Trevor Noah Podcast
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Chapter summaries
Warm-Up Banter and the Honorary Doctorate
Trevor Noah and Roger Federer joke about how tennis players warm each other up, then Trevor introduces the episode and the documentary Federer: Twelve Final Days. They reminisce about the Cape Town match and Federer's honorary doctorate from Dartmouth.
- •Tennis is unusual because opponents help each other warm up
- •Trevor introduces the documentary on Federer's final 12 days as a player
- •They recall the Cape Town Stadium exhibition match with Rafael Nadal
- •Federer received an honorary doctorate and gave a commencement speech at Dartmouth
Leaving School for Tennis and Staying Authentic
Federer explains that in Switzerland academics come first and sport is a hobby, and describes dropping his online classes at 16 to focus on tennis. He and Trevor discuss staying organic through years in the limelight and where his humor comes from.
- •Swiss culture puts academics before sport
- •He tried French, English and German online classes before asking his parents to let him do only tennis
- •He speaks of keeping authenticity through 25 years of stardom
- •He ties his humor to the road and to the languages he speaks
Why a Private Man Allowed a Documentary Crew
Trevor asks whether Federer worried about losing intimacy by filming his final days. Federer says it was meant only for the vault, and explains how he picked a filmmaker he knew and how the footage became a film.
- •The footage was originally meant for his children, team and friends, not as a movie
- •He kept his private life and kids out of the media and never wanted a camera team
- •He chose Joe Sabia of 73 Questions because he needed someone he knew
- •Watching the cut felt like therapy and left him feeling vulnerable
Mirka: The Greatest Doubles Partnership
Trevor asks what makes the bond between Federer and Mirka so special. Federer goes back to when they met at the Sydney Olympics, her injury and retirement, and how she supported him through his career and his final knee struggles.
- •They got together at the 2000 Sydney Olympics when Mirka was struggling with Achilles problems
- •She retired easily while he found retirement a huge emotional deal
- •She was his rock, first without kids and then with them on tour
- •She spoke to camera in the film for the first time in about 18 years
The Toll of a Career and Life After the Spotlight
Trevor asks whether Federer takes stock of what he gave to tennis. Federer reflects on 1,526 matches and the pressure of performing live, and he and Trevor compare leaving tennis with Trevor leaving The Daily Show.
- •Federer played 1,526 matches and is relieved he no longer has to do it
- •Performing live in front of people adds extra pressure
- •Trevor relates it to leaving The Daily Show and no longer needing to read breaking news
- •Not having to think about tomorrow's match is where Federer feels the change most
Visualizing Matches and the Rise of Analytics
Trevor asks how Federer plays matches in his head beforehand. Federer describes pattern play like chess, attacking the backhand, and why he disliked the analytics that arrived late in his career.
- •He mentally rehearses how an opponent plays and how matchups have gone over the years
- •Matches are a game of chess over who gets their preferred patterns
- •In his best years he focused mostly on his own game and improvised the rest
- •Analytics can create second-guessing, and he preferred to go on intuition
- •Trevor notes data looks backward and can overlook change
A "Resting Phase" Full of Projects, and Zendaya's Challengers
Trevor challenges Federer's claim that he is in a resting phase given his projects. Federer says he has deliberately protected his schedule for travel, and the talk turns to Zendaya joining On and the film Challengers.
- •Federer planned vacations early so nobody could book him for events
- •He has recently traveled to Japan, Thailand and the Maldives
- •Projects such as On came about organically
- •Zendaya signed with On, and Trevor discusses Challengers as a film about relationships and pressure
Representing Switzerland
Trevor asks whether Federer feels an obligation to represent Swiss identity. Federer talks about Swiss pride in precision and craftsmanship, and how his sense of representing the country grew as Swiss people became proud of him.
- •Swiss-made implies a level of precision few countries match
- •Swiss culture discourages sticking out, and people are subdued about their pride
- •He felt more responsible for representing Switzerland in the second half of his career
- •Trevor notes Swiss people call him Roger rather than Federer
Learning Golf
Trevor asks about the golf video Federer posted. Federer explains he took lessons recently, how technical and tense golf is compared to tennis, and why he sees it as a chance for philanthropy and family fun.
- •Federer played only a few times in the last eight years or so
- •His golf coach said thinking only about hoping the ball goes straight is the ideal
- •Technical focus made him tense compared with tennis
- •Golf could help with foundation events and is something the whole family plays
Rivalry, Respect and the Locker Room with Rafa
Trevor asks how Federer could compete fiercely with Nadal yet share such love. Federer speaks about mutual respect among rivals, the emotional locker room scene at the Laver Cup, and his press conference remarks about going first.
- •Rivalries involve agitation but also mutual respect
- •He thanked other players in his speech for making him a better person
- •Nadal was not ready for the farewell to be so emotional
- •Federer was glad to retire first because he is older, and seeing a rival go through injury would have been painful
- •He hopes future athletes share glimpses of their retirements
Friendships After Tennis
Trevor asks where Federer finds camaraderie now that the tour is over. Federer says he has kept friends and credits Mirka, and he advises players to stay in touch with friends, which he now repays by attending weddings and parties.
- •He tells players to keep in touch with friends, because a house with no people is not a home
- •Mirka has helped keep their friendships alive
- •He is now attending weddings and birthday parties he previously missed
- •He returns the favor to friends who traveled to see him play
What Now? Endings, Fatherhood and Open Horizons
Trevor asks his signature question. They discuss how a good ending leaves a little yearning, and Federer says he is still in search mode, prioritizing his kids and a few projects while avoiding commentary or coaching roles for now.
- •Trevor says a good ending should leave some regret or longing
- •Both enjoy revisiting their past worlds from a distance
- •Federer's priority is being present for his children, who are 10 and 14
- •He has a Celine coffee table book coming in September
- •He expects to know more in about a year and is happy in a transition phase
