'The train has left the station,' Tennis great Roger Federer finally opens up about his ‘highly emotional’ retirement, calls it a ‘suffering’

After playing tennis professionally for 24 years, he finally hung up his racket in September 2022, after the Laver Cup that took place that month. It was a pretty emotional moment for tennis fans across the globe. Even Federer’s long-time arch-nemesis Rafael Nadal couldn’t control his tears during Roger Federer’s retirement ceremony.

The Swedish never really talked about his life after retirement, until now. The 20-time Grand Slam champion gave an interview to GQ Sports during his attendance at the 2024 Academy Awards. There, he answered a number of questions related to his retirement and his life after it.

The 42-year-old said that he is in a way relieved after his retirement. The last few years of his career had been very strenuous, and physically his body was starting to give up. He added that now that he is retired, it feels good to look back at his career. 

I mean, the last few years have been tough with my knee. You could feel the end coming closer. So when it’s all said and done and you’re over the line and you’re retired officially, you take a deep breath and you’re like, “Wow, okay, that was good. Roger Federer said. (Source: GQ Sports)

Roger Federer explains why he was sobbing on the night of his retirement

Roger Federer was full in tears during his retirement ceremony at the 2022 Laver Cup and so were a bunch of other players and fans present at the event.

The Swiss explained that although he feels relieved now, he was most definitely overwhelmed with emotions during his retirement. After all, he had been playing tennis for the entirety of his life and now that was gone.

Yeah, it’s super highly emotional. Something that has always been with you is gone and will be forever gone, and you cannot have it back as much as you want it back. The train has left the station. And that’s okay, and I want it to be that way, but of course you cannot just go from one day to the next and say like, 'Okay, no problem, that’s easy. He explained

However, Federer went on to say that he still gets sad when he sees highlights of his retirement or when people ask about how he felt during that very moment. It brings back those sad memories, and he goes, “Oh, my God, do I really have to see that again?”