Federer opens up about his retirement: "I didn't want to be alone"

Óscar Belloch | 21 Sep 2025 | 02.00

Roger Federer at the Laver Cup 2022. Photo: Getty

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It has been three years since the retirement of Roger Federer as a professional tennis player, and he continues to be remembered every day in this sport. It is unlikely that anyone will ever wield a racket with as much elegance, class, and charisma from the very Olympus of the gods. However, time passes for everyone, and we must face reality, however harsh it may be, despite the many happy moments the Swiss player gave us.

The career of Roger Federer ended in 2022 after being considered one of the greatest players in history with 20 Grand Slam titles to his name. He chose the Laver Cup 2022 as the venue for his final match, the unforgettable doubles with Rafa Nadal against Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock. The European team lost, but the touching images of a broken-hearted Swiss player in his final moments as a professional will forever remain in history. In this 2025 edition, he spoke to Andy Roddick's podcast, 'Served', from San Francisco, reflecting on the months leading up to hanging up his racket.

Roger Federer at the Laver Cup 2025. Photo: Getty

- "You ruined my life for a decade!"

Those were the words Andy Roddick jokingly recited to express how he felt when Federer retired. The Swiss player wanted to share in detail what he felt on that day and the following ones: "It was a process I went through very intensely because I always knew that retirement would be very difficult for me because I love the sport, and everything it entails means a lot to me. My knee had been bothering me for a while, and I knew I was going to retire, so I took a break that summer to decide where to retire, and I was torn between the US Open, the ATP Basel, and the Laver Cup. I didn't want to be alone on the court when I retired, so I chose London because it was where I experienced some of the best moments of my career (Wimbledon)."

- On the creation of the Laver Cup

"I felt that legends deserved a bigger space of recognition in tennis after their retirements. It was in the back of a car when the thought came to me that Rod Laver deserved to be more remembered, so I came up with the idea of the Laver Cup. It's a challenging tournament to organize because it only lasts three days and you have to bring together many good players, but giving legends some kind of role, such as team captaincies, seemed very appropriate to carry out. So far, it has been a success, and we can bring tennis to places that may not be accustomed to seeing live tennis so much. Although we will return to London in 2026, we may soon be in Asia or South America."