In a press conference, Roger Federer returned to the emotions he experienced during his last night as a professional player. He leaves happy.
“Is there a particular moment that will stick in your memory?
Everything that happened after match point (smile). The game itself was special, but everything that happened after that was even more so. I didn’t know what was going to happen, where I had to go, what was expected of me. And then looking around, seeing everyone’s excitement, it was even better, or worse, I don’t really know. That is what I will remember, the emotion of the people. And Rafa was one of them, sorry.
read too
The last chills and the farewell of the giant Federer
You’ve had a lot of high-pressure matches but what was it like walking onto the pitch for this one knowing it was the end?
There were several phases today (Friday). Sometimes I was terribly nervous, like before a big final and then sometimes I completely forgot about it because we were with the guys and we were joking around. The last two days have been difficult, to say the least. But I managed to forget for moments, sleep well, enjoy. And thanks to that, I’m going to have a better memory of what happened because if it was just stress the whole time, it would have been too hard.
Roger Federer
“I would have liked to spend an evening where I would not have had to pick up the microphone”
It was complicated to take the micro at the end ?
That was the part that worried me the most. I would have liked to spend an evening where I didn’t have to carry the microphone. Because I know how hard it is for me when I’m emotional. It has happened to me several times before. But I remembered in the field how wonderful it was. It is not the end, life goes on. I’m healthy, I’m happy, everything is fine and it was just a moment to get by. Obviously it was supposed to be that way. I was able to find a second wind and say whatever I wanted, I think.
You said when announcing your retirement that it was your last appearance in the ATP, what do you have in mind for the future, what kind of matches?
The message I want to convey is that I want to continue to spread my passion for this sport and let the fans know that I hope we meet again on other stages somewhere in the world. I have no plans where, how or when. All I know is that I would love to play places I have never played before and thank the people who have supported me so much. »