That’s a very sporty answer. Under the motto: “I’m training myself”.
In a way, I really trained myself to do it. It’s so true because if you only do it once every few months [eine Krawatte] wears, for example, just for awards ceremonies, then you literally freak out because you feel so uncomfortable the whole time and it makes you nervous. So I said to myself: I have to develop the right mindset for this.
How is retirement?
I’m really relieved, if that makes sense.
How relieved?
The last few years have been really hard because of my knee. I could feel the end approaching. But once it’s all over and you’re officially retired, you can take a deep breath and think, “Wow, okay, that was good.”
So the main feeling was not sadness or sorrow, but contentment?
At the moment it was more like suffering. Because I knew it would be hard. The real moment of quitting in London and everything leading up to it. And then of course you feel nostalgic a little later. When people show you career highlights or ask you things like “How did you feel at that moment?” You just think, “Oh my God, do I really need to see this again?”
They cried that night.
Yes, it was highly emotional. Something that has always been a part of you is falling away and will be gone forever. And you’ll never have it back, no matter how much you might want it back. The train left. And that’s okay and I want it that way. But of course you can’t get over it from one day to the next and just say: “Okay, no problem, that’s it.”
Do you feel like you ultimately got the ending you wanted?
In any case. Even more. Because I was always afraid of the moment when the match is over, the hands are shaken and then the opponent somehow walks away. You’re all alone on the court, a few friends are sitting in the stands, but nobody knows in advance whether you’ll lose in the first round or whether you’ll make it to the final or whatever. Not everyone can be there either. Not everyone knows that day will be their last. At the end you say okay, that’s it and boom, it’s over. The show goes on anyway, the next match begins.
2024-03-15 14:00:50
#Tennis #legend #Roger #Federer #interview #dont
