A well-capsuled journey of events to mark the end of a sporting era.
Federer: Twelve Final Days is a British documentary directed by Asif Kapadia and Joe Sabia, which
follows Swiss champion Roger Federer as he announces his upcoming retirement in 2022 from the world of tennis and the preceding final days.
The documentary opens with then aged 41-year-old Federer recording his retirement speech and as hard as he tries to control his emotions, he’s visibly overwhelmed.
The tennis star had dedicated 24 years of his life to the game – winning 20 grand slam titles and spending 310 non consecutive weeks as world number 1 – but it was now time he realised that age isn’t just a number.
Despite all the accolades, G.O.A.T status and being considered a godlike player by the mortal world, Federer had spent much of the previous years undergoing a series of surgeries due to injuries which were becoming more and more prominent and problematic in his matches.
As the documentary progresses, we see Federer, his family and media team informing close friends
and fans of his retirement decision, as they await for a suitable moment to break the news to the wider world via social media.
When the inevitable news broke, the world was still shocked to finally realise that the man they deemed superhuman was in fact human.
But for some, his retirement announcement came as little surprise, as I discovered many people had been speculating his retirement since 2009 and I’m sure Federer would have been proud to debunk these rumours for a further 15 years, adding another seven grand slam titles in the process (2009-2018).
Spanning across his 24 years professional career Federer had played more than 1500 matches, winning 1251-275 and 103 titles as a singles player and eight titles, including a 2008 Olympic gold medal as a doubles player.
He has played formidable opponents like Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic and although they have triumphed against him, no one has established a fanbase like Federer and deserved the ultimate title of G.O.A.T as much.
The documentary then shifts focus to London in September 2022, where he played the final tennis match of his career, at the Laver Cup – which Federer co-founded in 2017 – in a doubles match with long-term friend and tennis rival Nadal.
The event was witnessed by thousands of fans and players from around the world, where tears were aplenty, especially from the man himself whose overriding emotion was one of gratitude.
It was the ending Federer wanted. A farewell which celebrated the extraordinary journey he embarked on – from becoming Switzerland’s junior champion aged 14 and winning Wimbledon junior’s championship three years later in 1998, to becoming the first-ever male tennis player to win 20 Grand Slam titles in the history of tennis – rather than a sadness for its end.
The documentary itself doesn’t fully focus on Federer’s career and milestones (if it did, the film would rival The Lord of the Rings trilogy in length) but it strongly emphasises the sentiments of every retiring sportsperson and the legacy they leave behind.
Federer believes the future of tennis is in good hands. There was even a scene where a new generation of tennis players talked and clicked pictures with him.
Not known to many, but this documentary was not supposed to be released as it exposes the tennis
star’s vulnerable and candid side which could’ve been twisted by the media in a manner that would
get them more viewership.
Nevertheless, Kapadia and Sabia were able to capture profound moments, emotions, reactions and sentiments of not just Federer, but his family, his colleagues, his juniors and his fans.
It was too good to NOT release and celebrate the man who instilled the passion for tennis in the hearts of people across the generations.
However, the pace of the documentary was a bit too slow and unnecessarily dragged out into 90 minutes.
As a movie lover, this wouldn’t be a masterpiece in film making as it lacks impact and fervour, but for passionate tennis fans this is a perfect time capsule to remember Federer as a tennis star who will go down history as one of the finest players of the sport.
How would you like to remember Roger Federer?