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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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Transcript

65 min read · 12,660 words

0:00 – 3:38
Warm-Up Banter and the Honorary Doctorate
1. TNTrevor Noah
  Do you wanna, do you wanna warm up first? What do you do normally?
2. RFRoger Federer
  Uh, the voice. I do the voice stuff usually.
3. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah? You don't need to do, like, a little...
4. RFRoger Federer
  [laughs]
5. TNTrevor Noah
  No, I mean, I'm trying to, I'm trying to put you in the tennis mode, you know?
6. RFRoger Federer
  No, no, totally. Good. Um-
7. TNTrevor Noah
  We do, we go out and hit a... Can I tell you, that's probably my favorite thing about tennis-
8. RFRoger Federer
  [laughs]
9. TNTrevor Noah
  ... is that, like, you, you warm each other up.
10. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah. That, that is weird.
11. TNTrevor Noah
  It's really weird.
12. RFRoger Federer
  It is super strange.
13. TNTrevor Noah
  There's no other sport I can think of where the opposing athletes help each other get into the zone.
14. RFRoger Federer
  Right, it's like, "Hey, can I give you a good rhythm so-
15. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
16. RFRoger Federer
  ... you can beat me after?" No.
17. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah. I'd, like, I've just, I've just never, I'd, like, you won't see boxers-
18. RFRoger Federer
  [laughs]
19. TNTrevor Noah
  ... doing, like, the bags with each other.
20. RFRoger Federer
  The sparring.
21. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, like, just, like, doing a little punching and s-... Like, before the, before you go knock each other out. [upbeat music] This is What Now? With Trevor Noah. [upbeat music] Well, welcome everybody to another episode of What Now?, the podcast where we have interesting conversations with the interesting people who make us think or feel. Today is, I mean, this is always one of my favorite things to do, is sit down with, uh, somebody I consider a friend, somebody who I've got fond memories with, funny stories, whatever it may be, and really just chat about how they see the world, what they're doing in it. And that person today is the one and only Roger Federer. You probably know him if you've lived on Earth, but if you don't, he's widely regarded as the greatest tennis player that has ever done it. He also gives that accolade to many of his peers, who are also some of the greatest to ever do it. But today, we're talking about everything in between. A documentary entitled Federer: Twelve Final Days, which is exactly what it sounds like, the 12 final days of Roger Federer's professional playing career. And yeah, man, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast, friend.
22. RFRoger Federer
  For sure. Good to see you, Trevor. Absolutely the same. I'm, uh, happy to see you again. You know, my tennis partner, man, from [laughs] from Cape Town.
23. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
24. RFRoger Federer
  We did it together.
25. TNTrevor Noah
  I mean, your tennis rival.
26. RFRoger Federer
  Uh, my te- I mean, yeah, but we were-
27. TNTrevor Noah
  You, you-
28. RFRoger Federer
  We were in it together
29. TNTrevor Noah
  ... Yeah, we were in it together.
30. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah, big time.
3:38 – 10:02
Leaving School for Tennis and Staying Authentic
1. RFRoger Federer
  very strange because, like you said, the, the academic world and that part of life is so far away from it, right? I knew that in te- uh, I mean, sorry, in Switzerland, it's super important. Academics come first-
2. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
3. RFRoger Federer
  ... and everything else is a hobby. You know, tennis especially, sports in general anyways. So, uh, for you to pursue tennis or a sport in our country is like, uh, what are you... I mean, you're obviously not gonna be good at it, so make sure your grades are good, you know, because this is obviously not gonna work out.
4. TNTrevor Noah
  Oh, wow.
5. RFRoger Federer
  And so for us to dive into that and believing and dreaming of, you know, the big time is, is not something that is very common. Uh, maybe now more so, uh, since, you know, I made it and we have more-
6. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, yeah
7. RFRoger Federer
  ... athletes making it, you know, and it's a thing. And, uh, you can see how much, uh, emotions actually a athlete can bring. It can be more seen as a career, you know? But, uh, then yeah, you... I mean, I, I remember I tried hard, you know, when I stopped school at 16 and, and, and chased, um, you know, my, my tennis dream. I remember I did, uh, French, English, and German, um, uh, online classes, uh, for those because I said, "Oh, I gotta do something after 16."
8. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, yeah.
9. RFRoger Federer
  "I can't just stop it all." Then after, you know, a couple of weeks, I asked my dad and my mom, like, "It's so hard. I don't have the discipline to sit down and do English and, and all that stuff, and German and French." They, "Okay, we drop French. You know, I'll just do German and English. I'm better at that than the French part."
10. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
11. RFRoger Federer
  They're like, "Okay, fine." So [laughs] then, uh, like, two weeks later, like, "I can't do it. Just give me a chance just to do only tennis."
12. TNTrevor Noah
  [laughs]
13. RFRoger Federer
  "And if, if tennis really doesn't work out, I'll go straight back to school, but please let me go."
14. TNTrevor Noah
  Oh, man. I like how you whittling down the languages.
15. RFRoger Federer
  Oh, my goodness.
16. TNTrevor Noah
  "I can't do French. I can't do Fr- I ca- I can't do Ge- I can't do language. I just wanna hit the ball."
17. RFRoger Federer
  And then here I am, you know-
18. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
19. RFRoger Federer
  ... yesterday at Dartmouth, I mean, in my robe giving a commencement speak, speaking, you know, to all those graduate. They're gonna be so bright. They're gonna be incredible people, you know? And, uh, yeah, I, I feel very humbled, and it's a, it was a great moment, you know?
20. TNTrevor Noah
  And, and you brought the family.
21. RFRoger Federer
  And then all the kids came.
22. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, Mirka came and yeah.
23. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah, and everybody came, so it really felt like a, um, a deep dive into American college.
24. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, yeah.
25. RFRoger Federer
  You know? Which I had, you know, I know very little about. Obviously, I, I mean, in recent years I've got to know more and more about it.
26. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm-hmm.
27. RFRoger Federer
  So when they asked me, I started preparing because I don't give many speeches like that. So that was fun.
28. TNTrevor Noah
  You seem natural, though.
29. RFRoger Federer
  Thank you.
30. TNTrevor Noah
  Like, uh, uh, like, I know this about you personally. You're not the biggest fan of being on the mic. You're not the biggest fan of, like, being-
10:02 – 16:33
Why a Private Man Allowed a Documentary Crew
1. RFRoger Federer
  Totally. And, uh, that's why I think the best part of it all was it was not supposed to be a movie. It was just supposed to be for the vault, to put it away for my children-
2. TNTrevor Noah
  No way
3. RFRoger Federer
  ... for my team, for my friends one, one day, just so we could look back and say, like, you know, we actually grabbed some content. Because the thing is, I've been, uh, super given, open-
4. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
5. RFRoger Federer
  ... in the media. I mean, uh, always happy to take pictures and talk-
6. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
7. RFRoger Federer
  ... to everyone. But then private is private, you know? Like, no- nobody comes to my house. We don't take, do home stories.
8. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm-hmm.
9. RFRoger Federer
  Um, it's just, uh, sort of off limits, and I try to keep my kids, uh, out of the limelight as much-
10. TNTrevor Noah
  Right
11. RFRoger Federer
  ... as I could. Of course, they've come seen some of the matches then down the road, and of course, uh, people then see them sometimes. But for the most part, I've really tried to keep that more of a, of a private thing. So when then, uh, well, the, the career was, was coming to an end, uh, the question was, well, where was it gonna be? You know, uh, where do I retire?
12. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm-hmm.
13. RFRoger Federer
  Um, because I knew sort of, um, at some point in the summer that, you know, my, uh, my knee was not improving anymore-
14. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
15. RFRoger Federer
  ... and you could see the trajectory going. And, um, and then, you know, and some people around me really thought that I should maybe have, uh, at least some footage taken from the end, because I really never wanted a camera team, uh, in my, in my life, because I said, like, I couldn't think of anything worse. Here I am trying to prepare for Wimbledon or French Open, US Open, you name it.
16. TNTrevor Noah
  And you've got all these people around you.
17. RFRoger Federer
  And then they're here-
18. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
19. RFRoger Federer
  ... and then, you know, you're tying your shoes, and you know they're looking over your shoulder, so you tie them extra nice.
20. TNTrevor Noah
  [laughs]
21. RFRoger Federer
  And then you go in front of the mirror, you put on the headband-
22. TNTrevor Noah
  [laughs]
23. RFRoger Federer
  ... and you make sure it's, it looks epic, you know?
24. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
25. RFRoger Federer
  Even though it makes no difference. You just wanna be focused. So I think it give ... I always felt like that's the, not the thing I really need in my life, and I don't want that. Okay. So then we decide that it's gonna be London, '02, doubled with Rafa.
26. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
27. RFRoger Federer
  I called Rafa at this point. And, uh, and I thought, okay, if I can just have a camera team around knowing that it's gonna go into the vault, I'm gonna be relaxed, because then I can just, uh, leave it there forever. Or if ever there is a life doc, you know, about my life-
28. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, yeah, yeah
29. RFRoger Federer
  ... 30 years from now, um, I actually have some extra footage while I still was active. I mean, there is obviously tons of footage out there, and maybe some I never, and never remembered.
30. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm-hmm.
16:33 – 20:36
Mirka: The Greatest Doubles Partnership
1. RFRoger Federer
  I think you have to go back to the early days, you know, where, um, when, uh, we got together, uh, pretty much at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. I was young at the time. Uh, Mirka was, you know, in the middle of her career. Um, started having some heel, um, Achilles issues and was struggling after the surgery to come back. I remember she was on crutches walking all the way through Paris at the time. Super tough moments, you know, and she was on crutches for a long time.
2. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
3. RFRoger Federer
  I mean, over a month, I think. You know, at the time, it was like, "My God, how, I mean, how long are you having these crutches for?" I thought like it's, uh, just a surgery, and we get back-
4. TNTrevor Noah
  Damn
5. RFRoger Federer
  ... up on the horse, you know, and you keep going. And then she was doing rehab, always pain, um, and then I, I told her about, "Why don't you just, I mean, retire? I mean, like, this is not the idea of playing tennis with pain all the time, and then we can be on tour together." And I was, you know, on the ascend of starting to win Wimbledon-
6. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, yeah, yeah
7. RFRoger Federer
  ... top 10, world number one, and she's like, "Yeah, you're right, you know. Let, let me, I'm, I'm done. It's good." And then [laughs] -
8. TNTrevor Noah
  Wow
9. RFRoger Federer
  ... he- and then here we are. Me, "Oh, I don't know if I should retire. I'm 36"
10. TNTrevor Noah
  [laughs]
11. RFRoger Federer
  "You know, 37, 38. You know, it's so hard to retire." And, and I'm thinking of her. She just, like, went like, "Okay, I'm done, you know. It's no problem. So what's the big deal?" I'm like, "Well," and I'm, here I am. It's, like, it's the biggest deal in the world to retire. I, I make it so emotional, and I love the game so much-
12. TNTrevor Noah
  Right
13. RFRoger Federer
  ... which she does, too, but I think she loved the tour through my career and the travels and the logistics behind and, like, being, you know, my rock really through-
14. TNTrevor Noah
  Right
15. RFRoger Federer
  ... thick and thin, and she's been incredible, you know, throughout. Uh, and then first half, thankfully we had it with no children, and thankfully we had it with children, you know, the second half, you know?
16. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
17. RFRoger Federer
  And that's obviously, like, that was a whirlwind, uh, of a life, uh, that we had, and I miss that, uh, to be honest, like, creating that home away from home experience, like in a room like this, creating a corner where the kids would be playing, and then I would-
18. TNTrevor Noah
  That's beautiful
19. RFRoger Federer
  ... jump in and out and read a book-
20. TNTrevor Noah
  That's beautiful
21. RFRoger Federer
  ... and go bui- build, uh, Lego together and whatever we did, you know, create little corners like this. It was great. So Mirka's been, uh, phenomenal, you know, and I think that's why also it was so hard for her at the end when she could see the suffering that I was going through-
22. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm
23. RFRoger Federer
  ... with my knee.
24. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm.
25. RFRoger Federer
  And she's like, "This is not the Roger that, uh, I know who, you know, who can crush everybody-
26. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
27. RFRoger Federer
  ... and beat everybody, and we just have a good time. If he loses, no problem, but if he loses, at least, you know, he's feeling okay." But, uh, she could see what I was going through on a daily basis. So I think we were all super relieved at the end. And, you know, in the movie as well, she speaks to the, she speaks to camera, which she hasn't done in, like-
28. TNTrevor Noah
  Right
29. RFRoger Federer
  ... 18 years. People don't even know her voice.
30. TNTrevor Noah
  Right
20:36 – 24:46
The Toll of a Career and Life After the Spotlight
1. TNTrevor Noah
  One of my favorite moments is where you, you, you're sitting in the, in the change room, and I think it, it's, it's, uh, you're gonna be playing against Francis, right?
2. RFRoger Federer
  Yep.
3. TNTrevor Noah
  It's, like, for the, the doubles match, and you, and you, you're talking about your knee.
4. RFRoger Federer
  Oh, yeah.
5. TNTrevor Noah
  And you say, like, half-joking, you go, "If I knew it was gonna be what it is," you know, and I'm paraphrasing you, "If I knew it was gonna be like this, I would have never gotten in, I would have never gotten into it in the first place."
6. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah.
7. TNTrevor Noah
  And, you know, I, I, I obviously don't take it literally. I don't think you would have never done it, but I do think people can take for granted how much sacrifice goes-
8. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
9. TNTrevor Noah
  ... into a career like yours. You know, physical sacrifice, mental sacrifice, uh, the time sacrifice of life. W- when you look at your body now, your mind, your, your, your everything, do you ever take stock and think to yourself, "Man, I, I really gave a lot to tennis as a career"?
10. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah. And, uh, especially when I see, like, yesterday, you know, you see the French Open finals, Alcaraz against Zverev, five sets, and they're [laughs] chasing each other around the court. I'm like, "I did that, too," you know?
11. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
12. RFRoger Federer
  "I did that, too, many, many times." Uh, yesterday at, uh, when I was the commencement speaker, I was talking about that, that I played 1,526 matches. I had to look it up how many I did.
13. TNTrevor Noah
  That many.
14. RFRoger Federer
  And then you realize, my God, that was a lot of tennis, a lot of running, and I, I'm so relieved that I don't have to go through it anymore, you know? You know, because I mean, as fun as it was-
15. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm-hmm
16. RFRoger Federer
  ... but the, especially towards the end, I remember, I mean, the warmups, you know, the stretchings to warm up-
17. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
18. RFRoger Federer
  ... to go warm up, then tennis, to take a break, to then warm up the body again-
19. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
20. RFRoger Federer
  ... to then go play, you know, a match. I mean, it was massive, monumental effort to do that. Now you can say that, "Well, what's the big deal? It's just tennis." Yeah, it's just tennis, but it's, it's your life, and you, and you've been trying to, you're trying to perform at your best in front of people.
21. TNTrevor Noah
  Right, right, right.
22. RFRoger Federer
  And you know that better than anybody. And performing in front of people just adds that extra pressure.
23. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm-hmm.
24. RFRoger Federer
  There's no, "Okay, cut. Let's do that again. That didn't work out." Like, you're out there, and you're vulnerable, and it's tough. So I honestly, uh, I feel super relieved, and I see any athlete now or any per- person who performs at the highest of level, especially at, uh, with a live audience, you know, I, I respect them. And I'm so happy I have that. But it almost feels like it was a different me now. I don't know. You're probably still so in the thick of it, you know? But-
25. TNTrevor Noah
  No, no, you know what? I actually, I actually agree with you
26. RFRoger Federer
  ... I have that distance now.
27. TNTrevor Noah
  So, yeah, because i- i- it's funny, and we talked about this. Like, um, you announced, like, your departure from tennis around the same time I was departing from The Daily Show.
28. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah.
29. TNTrevor Noah
  And I think I can relate to many of the things you're saying. There's, there's a moment in your life that is defined by a certain action and activity.
30. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm.
24:46 – 30:58
Visualizing Matches and the Rise of Analytics
1. TNTrevor Noah
  Talk to me a little bit about that. So you, you, you're going into a match. You know a match is coming up in the, in the next few days.
2. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm.
3. TNTrevor Noah
  You're visualizing what the match will be and how your opponent plays, and you're basically playing the match in your head before the match.
4. RFRoger Federer
  Yes. I mean, yes, absolutely. And, uh, I think some do it, um, by watching video. I didn't watch a lot of video, um, of my opponent, even though towards the end I did, because there's a couple things that worked for me is, ah, the memory of remembering how it feels to play an opponent, then what I would wanna do. So how does that match up together? Then how has my opponent played that particular week compared to how have we matched up against each other-
5. TNTrevor Noah
  Oh
6. RFRoger Federer
  ... let's say, the last 10 years?
7. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, yeah, yeah.
8. RFRoger Federer
  You know? And then you have fast court, slow court, so all of that matters. How do I feel that week? The things I've been doing maybe prior to the match.
9. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
10. RFRoger Federer
  Um, have I been playing aggressive? Have I been playing more safe? Um, um, am I carrying an injury or not? How do I feel? And then especially against, um, the best players, the ones I played the most against, uh, you know, um, it's always, uh, it's a game of chess, like for pattern. Who gets the patterns they want, right? And that's then when you realize, well, okay, it's very clear what he wants. It's very clear what I want.
11. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
12. RFRoger Federer
  Now the question is, like, are we, is one of us gonna back out of it? Or are we just gonna say, like, "Okay, let's see what you got on the day." He might not have a best day. Maybe I don't have my best day. So obviously there's this clash at the beginning, and then you gotta decide we keep going or d- do we, like, start deviating from it. And that's where, like a skier, you know who ski- sees the ski slope?
13. TNTrevor Noah
  Yes.
14. RFRoger Federer
  We see those same patterns I was, uh, um, saying to you before. Like, if he goes, I don't know, short angle cross-court, do I have to go back cross-court and, and let him try to thread the needle up the line? Or do I take charge and say, like, do I go up the line and break, break it up, but then does it look like an escape from me? Or is that a, a, a specific play I use, you know? And then all this also, um, um, statistics stuff came in towards the end of my career, which can really, um, make your, make your, how do you say, your, your mind crazy and-
15. TNTrevor Noah
  How, yeah, how, how do you feel about that? Because this is something that I've, I've, I've heard from athletes across all disciplines, you know. I remember sitting with, like, um, a few players from the Premier League-
16. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm
17. TNTrevor Noah
  ... and, and Serie A, and they were telling me how in, in football, in soccer, now it's all become data analytics.
18. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm.
19. TNTrevor Noah
  So back in the day, the coach would tell you, "This is how you should move. This is what you should do."
20. RFRoger Federer
  Right.
21. TNTrevor Noah
  "And have fun." And now a coach goes, "No, when that player gets the ball, we all move like this."
22. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah.
23. TNTrevor Noah
  "You come down, you move up, you do that. When that player gets the ball, you do this."
24. RFRoger Federer
  Correct.
25. TNTrevor Noah
  "Because 70% of the time they're gonna cross the ball over here."
26. RFRoger Federer
  That's right.
27. TNTrevor Noah
  "82% of the time they're gonna pass it across this. 23% of the time if you press them, they're gonna do-"
28. RFRoger Federer
  Completely.
29. TNTrevor Noah
  But it's all stats.
30. RFRoger Federer
  But that's what's coming as well.
30:58 – 34:24
A "Resting Phase" Full of Projects, and Zendaya's Challengers
1. TNTrevor Noah
  No. This is your resting phase? Yo. Okay, let's, let's-
2. RFRoger Federer
  No, but okay
3. TNTrevor Noah
  ... let's go. Launching a sunglasses brand that was-
4. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
5. TNTrevor Noah
  ... sold out in minutes, all right? Continuing to, like, blow up one of the fastest growing sports brands in the world, right? Which is On. Traveling around the world still with like, as a Rolex ambassador, still being the face of tennis. ... releasing a documentary, going around the wo- like, this is your resting phase?
6. RFRoger Federer
  Well, I feel like this, uh, I, I was, I say it because this year in particular, I was very strong with my wife to say, "You know what? Let's plan all our vacations super early-
7. TNTrevor Noah
  Okay
8. RFRoger Federer
  ... so nobody can say like, 'Oh, by the way, um, can you come to, um, to this one thing?'"
9. TNTrevor Noah
  Okay. Okay.
10. RFRoger Federer
  And I'm like, "Oh, sorry, I-
11. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah. Yeah, that, that makes sense
12. RFRoger Federer
  ... I'm in Vietnam right now," you know, or, "I will be in Vietnam at this time," or-
13. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
14. RFRoger Federer
  ... "I'll be in Bangkok," or, "I'll be, you know, somewhere around the world." So I really protected my schedule, I feel-
15. TNTrevor Noah
  That's smart
16. RFRoger Federer
  ... at, at a very good level this year. I'm really happy we did that. I told you, we were just came back six weeks from, uh, uh, from Asia-
17. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
18. RFRoger Federer
  ... from an amazing trip. We were in Thailand. Before that, we were in Japan, uh, last October, and, uh, we had a wonderful Christmas in the Maldives. You know, so things I really, really looked forward to for many, many years-
19. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm-hmm
20. RFRoger Federer
  ... while still on tours-
21. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm-hmm
22. RFRoger Federer
  ... that one day, I can go visit places, uh, without the stress of having to practice or actually play another match there.
23. TNTrevor Noah
  It's, man, it's so funny you say this
24. RFRoger Federer
  So, uh, and it's been great for me to do that, so I know I'll get back into it.
25. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
26. RFRoger Federer
  And then, like you said, I have all these projects, you know, uh, that all of a sudden came about, but not almost because I wanted them so badly. They came back organically.
27. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
28. RFRoger Federer
  I f- I mean, On, they're just around the corner, so I go to the offices, and we talk about stuff. Zendaya just signed with On now, so that's been so cool.
29. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, congra- uh, by the way, that, that, that story's amazing on so many different levels. Like, Zendaya is easily, I mean, she's just in the stratosphere of her career, you know?
30. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah.
34:24 – 37:33
Representing Switzerland
1. TNTrevor Noah
  It feels like you've brought your precision, your thoughtfulness, and your joy out of tennis into another idea, and that, that is a, a, a sports brand. I know you're really thoughtful about why, and, you know, why you do or don't do things.
2. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm.
3. TNTrevor Noah
  So I, I've been lucky enough to be in Switzerland with you and to, like, feel you moving through space. Like, when we were in the train station, for instance.
4. RFRoger Federer
  [laughs]
5. TNTrevor Noah
  This, this... Do you apply that to yourself as well as Roger? Like, do you feel that you have, you know, maybe an obligation is the wrong word, but I can't think of a better one right now, to really represent Swiss identity, to really represent Switzerland, to really represent the Swiss people?
6. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah. I think we're proud of our Swiss made, and you know, like, we do it, uh, with precision and well, and, uh, when you know there's, like, a Swiss cross on something, it's-
7. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
8. RFRoger Federer
  ... supposed to be done to a level that, uh, not many other countries can bring it to.
9. TNTrevor Noah
  Right.
10. RFRoger Federer
  I don't know, maybe, you know, Italy when it comes to really beautiful clothes-
11. TNTrevor Noah
  Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm
12. RFRoger Federer
  ... or Japan, when they, you know that the craftsmanship is, is, is really special. And I think the Swiss angle has that as well, you know? And we're very proud of it, like, with our, you know, watches and cheese and chocolate and-
13. TNTrevor Noah
  [laughs]
14. RFRoger Federer
  ... and mountains and whatever it is, you know? We're very proud of it all, as you saw, you know, when we did the Swiss tourism ad together. So-
15. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
16. RFRoger Federer
  ... um-
17. TNTrevor Noah
  But on an individual level, though-
18. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
19. TNTrevor Noah
  ... it hasn't always been that way.
20. RFRoger Federer
  No, in, in the early-
21. TNTrevor Noah
  Like, like Swiss, Swiss, Swiss, um, uh, okay, this is the way I've perceived it, you know? Like, you know, having family members in Switzerland and spending a little time-
22. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
23. TNTrevor Noah
  ... out there, it's like Swiss culture is also a little bit of like, "Hey, don't stick out too much."
24. RFRoger Federer
  Oh, for sure.
25. TNTrevor Noah
  "We're all equal. We're all doing this thing. We're all as-"
26. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
27. TNTrevor Noah
  ... "important as the other." And so in many ways, like-
28. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
29. TNTrevor Noah
  ... the cult of personality-
30. RFRoger Federer
  So, so the beginning, it was funny. Like, I didn't feel like, um, uh, yeah, sure, I'm proud to represent Switzerland when it was, uh, a team sport, and it's-
37:33 – 41:01
Learning Golf
1. TNTrevor Noah
  So let's talk a little bit about, you know, you enjoying this, this relative new freedom, you know, just being able to try everything, knowing there's no match coming up, knowing there's no... You know, even for your body, you just, like, wake up the way you wake up and, and-
2. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
3. TNTrevor Noah
  ... and do your thing. You posted a video on Instagram hitting a golf ball.
4. RFRoger Federer
  Oof.
5. TNTrevor Noah
  Right? And-
6. RFRoger Federer
  Have you played golf at all?
7. TNTrevor Noah
  Say again?
8. RFRoger Federer
  Have you played golf much at all?
9. TNTrevor Noah
  I wouldn't say I've played golf.
10. RFRoger Federer
  [laughs]
11. TNTrevor Noah
  I would say I've hit a golf ball.
12. RFRoger Federer
  Okay. [laughs]
13. TNTrevor Noah
  I don't think... What I, what I w- did wasn't playing.
14. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm.
15. TNTrevor Noah
  I, I'm terrible. I also don't get it, to be honest with you. I really don't. I loved learning tennis, and I, I still play-
16. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
17. TNTrevor Noah
  ... when I get a chance.
18. RFRoger Federer
  Good.
19. TNTrevor Noah
  I enjoy it. Yeah, golf, I never, you know? But you posted the video.
20. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah.
21. TNTrevor Noah
  And is this what-
22. RFRoger Federer
  So-
23. TNTrevor Noah
  F- f- first of all, how new are you at it really? Because it was flawless.
24. RFRoger Federer
  No, it, it, it, I know it looked good, but-
25. TNTrevor Noah
  It looked very good
26. RFRoger Federer
  ... but those, those balls [laughs]
27. TNTrevor Noah
  [laughs]
28. RFRoger Federer
  You know, they have a, they have a way to-
29. TNTrevor Noah
  That's funny
30. RFRoger Federer
  ... to slide over, you know? [laughs]
41:01 – 47:59
Rivalry, Respect and the Locker Room with Rafa
1. TNTrevor Noah
  Let's, let's talk a little bit about, um, another aspect of, of, of the film that for me really I, I think is one of the main pillars of, of who Roger Federer is. You can't watch this, this documentary and not think about how important relationships are.
2. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm.
3. TNTrevor Noah
  You know, when you, when you're watching the final 12 days of, of your career, o- one of the scenes that is, I mean, everyone's probably gonna cry when they watch it, and, and it's a good cry, is watching you and, and, and the team, and it's, like, Team Europe, and you're saying goodbye, and it's this, this, this whole thing.
4. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
5. TNTrevor Noah
  And everyone has cried. You know, you've taken center stage and you've spoken and, and Rafa's crying and, and you're walking into the change rooms together, and then Rafa goes off and he goes off into another one because he's still crying-
6. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah, yeah
7. TNTrevor Noah
  ... and he's so emotional. This maybe is something that, that I think is not just a beautiful testament to you, but it's, it's an interesting look at relationships and how we think of them. There is no greater rival in your career than Rafael Nadal.
8. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
9. TNTrevor Noah
  You know? This is the person who was always between you and another Grand Slam, another Grand-
10. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
11. TNTrevor Noah
  ... and obviously Novak came into play.
12. RFRoger Federer
  Absolutely
13. TNTrevor Noah
  But you and Rafa we, we think of as being synonymously-
14. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm
15. TNTrevor Noah
  ... you know, head-to-head all the time.
16. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm.
17. TNTrevor Noah
  You wouldn't think in most stories that the person who would cry more than you-
18. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm
19. TNTrevor Noah
  ... would be your number one quote, unquote-
20. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
21. TNTrevor Noah
  ... rival, and yet it seems like it wasn't necessarily a rivalry. It seems like it was a competition, and there's a love as brothers.
22. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
23. TNTrevor Noah
  Tell me a little bit about that relationship and, and how you were still able to compete at the highest level against somebody like that.
24. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
25. TNTrevor Noah
  Beat them, have them beat you, but then still have that love between you.
26. RFRoger Federer
  So I think what I like about the story of... Now, take tennis as a whole. Um, sure, we can take Rafa, but we can also take Novak or Murray or Wawrinka, whoever we wanna take, but let's say take Rafa. Um, to come through a career of 25 years or 15, whatever, it's long, a lot of matches, um, a lot of tough battles, like you said.
27. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
28. RFRoger Federer
  You know, you, you win some, you lose some. Um, sometimes you don't like him, then you like him again. Um, then you don't like his team, or you don't like his coach, and then they have a problem with you, and you said something, he said something, and, you know, there's always this agitation, but actually there's mutual respect and so forth. And then to come out At the end of it all and actually be like, high five, that, that was cool. That, that stuff was cool. And you know what? We can't wait to maybe hang out more in the future, or hopefully we'll see each other again down the road and be on a r- on a, a rocking chair one day and we'll look back and go like, "That was fun, and thank you." Uh, and I said that as well in the commencement speak, uh, speech yesterday. I thanked all the players for making me better and showing me my flaws, you know, for making me hopefully a better not just a tennis player, but a, also a better person, you know?
29. TNTrevor Noah
  That's beautiful.
30. RFRoger Federer
  So I think this last 12 days, you know, that we're gonna see, um, uh, coming out now is, is a beautiful story as a whole, I think, for that message. Because I think a lot of time we, we tell the other, you know, the, as a coach or a father or whoever it is, "You has to, you have to gotta be tough, and you gotta be, take him down, and you gotta beat him up, and, you know-"
47:59 – 49:40
Friendships After Tennis
1. TNTrevor Noah
  So, so, so let me ask you this. When you have that kind of support, you know, when you have that camaraderie, like where, where do you, where do you find it now? Because while tennis took a toll on your body, it also gave you something on an emotional level.
2. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah.
3. TNTrevor Noah
  It gave you something on a mental level. Where, where, where do you search for that now? Where do you find it?
4. RFRoger Federer
  So I'm happy that we always kept a really nice, uh, group of friends throughout the world, but also in Switzerland. I always have my roots down. Um, I think there I can really thank my wife as well especially to always keep in touch with everybody.
5. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
6. RFRoger Federer
  Because I always worry for players, and when play- players ask, seek me for advice or, you know, you mentor them sometimes or they're in a tough spot, 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?"
7. TNTrevor Noah
  Hmm.
8. RFRoger Federer
  You know? An apartment, and that's it? A house? I mean, but a house with no people or an apartment with no friends around is gonna be, it's, it's-
9. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, it's not a home
10. RFRoger Federer
  ... not so much fun. It's not a home.
11. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
12. RFRoger Federer
  So I feel like that's now where our big focus is as well, and that's why I was talking about like taking a bit of a break. Maybe it's not a real break, but you know what I'm saying?
13. TNTrevor Noah
  No, no, no, it is. I, I, I like what you said about holding, yeah
14. RFRoger Federer
  ... it's, it's actually, actually going, uh, to weddings, going to birthday parties, going to things that you, I could never do.
15. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
16. RFRoger Federer
  And actually catching up with that, but also maybe giving, uh, my friends their time now, because they invested so much time in me to, I know they love the trip to Wimbledon and come to London and then come watch a game with me. I know, and I organize a ticket and so forth, but they still took their vacation or they took time out to come see me play. And I now return the favor by going, trying to see a lot of my friends and my family.
17. TNTrevor Noah
  That's beautiful, man.
18. RFRoger Federer
  And I feel like I get, get a lot of energy and get a lot of happiness from that.
49:40 – 54:09
What Now? Endings, Fatherhood and Open Horizons
1. TNTrevor Noah
  Well, Roger, before I let you go, there's, um- The, the question that I love to ask everybody on the podcast is, what now? And it could apply to everything. It could apply to anything.
2. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm.
3. TNTrevor Noah
  I'm selfishly curious about this. One is the what now for, for, for your career. When we first sat down and had, like, a, a real conversation like this, was literally my final 12 days-
4. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
5. TNTrevor Noah
  ... of The Daily Show.
6. RFRoger Federer
  That's right
7. TNTrevor Noah
  You know? And then-
8. RFRoger Federer
  Was I your sec- second to last guest?
9. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, second-
10. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah
11. TNTrevor Noah
  ... second to the last guest, actually.
12. RFRoger Federer
  Second to last guest.
13. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah. No, I think you were the last. You might have been the last guest, actually.
14. RFRoger Federer
  Was I? How did that feel for you, the, like, the ... And then did you also feel emotionally? Were you like-
15. TNTrevor Noah
  So-
16. RFRoger Federer
  "Eh, I actually, this is great," happy?
17. TNTrevor Noah
  So this is the way I think, and I, I would love to know how you view it.
18. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah.
19. TNTrevor Noah
  You know, I think any ending that is good should leave you with a little bit of mourning or regret.
20. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm. Yeah.
21. TNTrevor Noah
  Any ending that, that is good, anything that has ended when it should end-
22. RFRoger Federer
  Mm-hmm
23. TNTrevor Noah
  ... should have you just yearning a little bit for more of it.
24. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah. Yes.
25. TNTrevor Noah
  You know? When I was, when I was leaving The Daily Show, I wasn't like, "Good riddance."
26. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah.
27. TNTrevor Noah
  There was a part of me going, "Man, maybe-
28. RFRoger Federer
  Would be good to continue.
29. TNTrevor Noah
  It would've ... Maybe I should, just a little bit more maybe. But I think that's what it should be.
30. RFRoger Federer
  Yeah.