“It was hard-core. I cried like six times” – Federer says upcoming documentary is super emotional

The documentary is expected to come out around the time of Wimbledon this year

Roger Federer at the 2022 Laver Cup in London Image Credit: Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic

March 15, 2024

Roger Federer revealed that he cried six times while watching the upcoming documentary on the days leading up to his retirement at the 2022 Laver Cup.

Amazon recently revealed that filmmakers Joe Sabia and Asif Kapadia were working on a documentary on the 20-time Grand Slam champion after the Swiss legend’s team captured some footage around his retirement days.

Tentatively scheduled for a release around the time of Wimbledon this year, Federer said he recently watched the documentary describing it as ‘super emotional’ and ‘a hard core watch’ during which he cried six times.

“So I watch it with Mirka and Tony [Godsick, Federer’s agent] and we’re like, Oh, my God, wow. So next thing you know, it’s like we’re doing one and a half hours, last-12-days-of-my-life type thing. I watched a screening the other day, it was hard-core. I cried like six times,” Federer said in a recent interview to GQ Magazine.

This was something I didn’t want to do. It’s like writing a book. I didn’t want to write a book. I just was not ready to write my story.
Federer on the new documentary

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Laver Cup in London Image Credit: Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic

The Swiss added that the idea germinated from capturing some footage for himself and his family to look back on and that a documentary was never supposed to be made.

“This was something I didn’t want to do. It’s like writing a book. I didn’t want to write a book. I just was not ready to write my story. So that was never an idea. Then when the end was coming nearer, and once the Laver Cup was set, the question was: Well, do we want to have anything documented? Just maybe more for my own story, for my own kids, for friends and coaches and my team. How about if we film a little bit of an over-the-shoulder type thing? Then at least we’d have something, because we almost have no behind the scenes of my life because I never want anybody around. So then they came and I said, “Well, you probably want to see before, and then during, and after [the match].” And then Joe told me, “Hey, I have so much footage and it’s so incredible and it would be such a waste not to share this. Can I just pitch to you a one-hour doc?” And I’m like, “Okay, well sure, but that’s not the point here. But yeah sure, show me.” And it’s super emotional, hard-core to watch.”