Roger Federer documentary to show end of tennis great’s career

Cameras followed the 20-time grand slam singles champion for the last 12 days before he retired from the sport.

Roger Federer retired from tennis in 2022 (John Walton/PA) (PA Archive)

Roger Federer’s final moments of his tennis career will be shown in a documentary.

The 20-time grand slam singles champion and eight-time Wimbledon winner retired in 2022 after a Laver Cup appearance in London.

British filmmaker Asif Kapadia will direct the Amazon Prime Video feature looking at the final 12 days of Federer’s professional career.

It “captures Federer at his most vulnerable and candid self, as he says goodbye to a game and the fans that shaped his life for the last two decades”, by using home video that was never intended for public viewing.

Federer said: “Initially the idea was to capture the final moments of my professional tennis career so that I could have it later on to show my family and friends.

“During my career I tended to shy away from having cameras around me and my family, especially during important moments. But I didn’t see the harm in shooting this as it was never intended for the public.

“However, we captured so many powerful moments, and it transformed into a deeply personal journey.

“I am happy to be partnering with Prime Video because of their vast global reach and significant presence in the film industry. This ensures that the story of my final days in tennis will resonate with both tennis enthusiasts and broader audiences worldwide.”

Kapadia, who will direct with Joe Sabia, was behind the Oscar-winning Amy Winehouse documentary Amy and has previously explored the lives of footballers Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The untitled Federer documentary – for which an official release date has not been announced – will include interviews with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, who were all part of Team Europe for the Laver Cup.

Until last year, when Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the final, the Wimbledon men’s singles title had not been won by anyone other than those four players since Australian Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.

Federer won his first major title in 2003 at Wimbledon and went on to win seven more times, currently the men’s record at the tournament.