(Provided by Tennis World USA)
It has been almost a year since Roger Federer announced his retirement. It was a Friday evening in September 2022, and it was the first day of the Laver Cup: a doubles match with his friend and rival Rafael Nadal was the last match played by the Swiss champion after more than twenty years of career.Yesterday, August 8, 2023, the Swiss Maestro turned 42, and many messages of good wishes for him arrived on social media, especially on Twitter.The Wimbledon tournament celebrated Roger with these beautiful words: “Our eight-time singles champion turns 42 today.
From Ball Boy training to Royal Box guest, it was so great to welcome Roger Federer back to Wimbledon this year.”Billie Jean King wrote: “Happy birthday to 20x Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer.”The Rafael Nadal’s academy posted: “Happy birthday Roger Federer!
Have a great day! VAMOS!”
Tennis World USA staff wishes Roger happy birthday!
Our eight-time singles champion turns 42 today ð
From Ball Boy training to Royal Box guest, it was so great to welcome @rogerfederer back to #Wimbledon this year ð pic.twitter.com/UoZPFzbhjP — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) August 8, 2023
Happy birthday to 20x Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer!
pic.twitter.com/qyYrj6dnAY — Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) August 8, 2023
Happy birthday @rogerfederer! Have a great day! 𥳠VAMOSâ¼ï¸ pic.twitter.com/xUXw0AEFRp — Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar (@rnadalacademy) August 8, 2023
ð Hoy cumple años el tenis.
La elegancia. La perRFección.
¡Hoy cumple 42 años, Roger Federer! ðð pic.twitter.com/tzHAODsWfM — ESPN Tenis (@ESPNtenis) August 8, 2023
The legend turns 42 today.
⨠Happy birthday Roger Federer â¨
We miss you.
pic.twitter.com/TOLxPlkSHI — We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) August 8, 2023
We’re celebrating Roger Federer’s top 3 tweeners at the US Open on his 42nd birthday! ð pic.twitter.com/cMEATSdJT2 — US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 8, 2023
Roger talks about his life after the retirement
Present at an event for Uniqlo and interviewed by the New York Times, the 20-time Grand Slam champion returned to the sensations he experienced after saying goodbye to tennis.He explained: “Life without the game, life without the fans and life without the show that has dominated my life for 25 years was definitely something I didn’t know how I was going to take.
For a long time I tried to go back and give myself another chance, to leave this sport healthy, but it just wasn’t feasible. But the good and bad thing about Covid and with my knee surgery, is that everything has started to slow down in the last three years, so it’s not like I come in after playing 100 games and then boom, it’s over.
In the end, I was relieved, I think, and happy to retire. It ended perfectly at the Laver Cup. I was surrounded by my biggest rivals, and my family and friends were there. To me it was like, ‘OK, I’m fine now.”Retirement allowed Roger Federer to expand his horizons.
From the co-chair at the Met Gala to the presence in the Royal Box at Wimbledon, passing through his appearance on stage at the Coldplay concert in Zurich, a new life has begun for the Swiss tennis player.He said: “I’ve always been strict and serious about being a professional athlete, but I would eat hamburgers, I would eat desserts, I would drink a glass of wine.
For me, eating a hamburger was nothing out of the ordinary, but this one looked perfect, so I I had to post a picture of it. I’m doing things that weren’t feasible when I was playing because it took too long.”
