A home film following the final 12 days of Swiss tennis superstar Roger Federer’s illustrious 24-year tennis career was never meant to see the light of day. But that plan’s changed.
24 years, over 1,700 games, 20 Grand Slams, and one documentary to capture it all. Roger Federer, the Swiss star who spent two decades not only as the face of tennis but also as the greatest player to grace grass, clay and hard court, is set to have his achievements celebrated on the small screen.
In a global sporting media climate that sees anyone and everyone get a documentary, regardless of what they’ve achieved, or not achieved, in their careers, few athletic careers feel best suited to a feature-length film than that of Swiss tennis stalwart, Roger Federer, one of the most affable athletes in history.
While not exactly capturing a fly-on-the-wall picture of his entire career, the film, produced by an all-star crew, hones in on the final moments of a lengthy and successful career.
Here’s everything we know so far.
All the key Roger Federer documentary details
What will the documentary cover?
Set for release on Prime Video, the untitled feature-length documentary will comprise of home video initially filmed as a private memento of Federer’s career for him to show his children and grandchildren, candidly captures the final 12 days of the Swiss superstar’s tennis career.
“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,” Federer explained.
The man affectionately dubbed the Fed Express throughout his career admitted he spent much of his time in the limelight tending to ‘shy away from having cameras around me and my family, especially during important moments.’
However, in complete contrast to this, Federer said he ‘didn’t see the harm in shooting this as it was never intended for the public.’
The fact that it is now being pieced together with interviews with other tennis stars, such as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, whose rivalries with Federer defined a generation, makes this film unmissable for sports fans.
The 20-time Grand Slam champions professed excitement ‘that the story of my final days in tennis will resonate with both tennis enthusiasts and broader audiences worldwide.’
Will it be like The Last Dance?
Somewhat similar. Where The Last Dance chronicled the final season of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ all-conquering dynasty in the 1990s, the Federer documentary will focus on just 12 days.
While 12 days pales in comparison to the length of an entire basketball season, as the adage goes: There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. Federer’s final fortnight in professional tennis is sure to be the latter.
Just as The Last Dance painted the most vivid picture of not only Michael Jordan the basketballer, but also the person, and illuminated the intense plane he operated on not only during the 1997-98 season but throughout the entirety of his career, expect much of the same from the Federer film.
Not noted as being as passionate or tyrannical as Jordan, there is undoubtedly going to be an equally emotional element to the Federer film as viewers watch his career unwind before their very eyes.
While far from the peak of his powers at the time it was filmed – Federer became unranked for the first time prior to his retirement – the documentary will collect multiple elements of his career to provide the ultimate snapshot of one of the greatest athletes ever seen.
Is a release date confirmed?
Not yet, although it’s rumoured to be hitting screens sometime during the middle of the year.
Who’s behind the documentary?
A crash-hot team, that’s who. At the helm are directors Asif Kapadia and Joe Sabia, with Kapadia, alongside George Chignell, producing the film for Lafcadia Productions.
Avid sports documentary aficionados will note Kapadia as the man behind two of the greatest sporting documentaries produced this century; Senna and Diego Maradona. Both films are incredibly shot, stitched together perfectly and poignantly tell the stories of two of the most divisive and inspiring athletes ever.
Have we got a trailer yet?
Unfortunately not. We will be sure to update this article when one drops, so be sure to check back in the coming months!
