A Gift to Tennis fans: Documentary of Roger Federer’s retirement is coming to Amazon Prime

Roger Federer’s retirement from tennis was one of the biggest retirements in sport. It occurred at the 2022 Laver Cup in London with his great rivals Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in toe. And now we’re getting a documentary of some of the behind the scenes footage that was originally designed to play more like a home movie for the Swiss tennis player, who dominated the tennis world 2003 - 2018.

Federer wanted to capture the final moments for what he considered a special home movie. Joe Sabia—who was suggested to him by Vogue’s Anna Wintour—filmed Federer’s goodbye to the game of tennis, retiring with 20 grand slam titles.

“It’s a snapshot of my life over those 12 days, which is pretty hardcore and interesting,” Federer said in an interview, according to Bloomberg. Filmmakers had access to his hotel room and his home, a true scarcity for the legend. “I never let anyone come into my house,” he said.

Even more revelatory is that the documentary will include a rare interview with his wife, Mirka, who hasn’t given one in over a decade.

When the footage was viewed by everyone, it was so moving that they started thinking this needed to be shared as a feature documentary, per Bloomberg. Amazon got on board and brought on award-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia, who had already impressed with his documentary on Formula One driver Ayrton Senna (Senna).

“It’s a very personal film,” Federer said, h/t Bloomberg. “It’s looking deep into another layer of the tennis tour – how the camaraderie is a good one on the tour. Yes, here are rivalries, but off the court there are friendships and respect.”

Roger Federer documentary is coming to Amazon Prime

It is sure to feature footage tied to his great matches with Nadal and Djokovic, which many consider the best tennis events of all time. Federer had intense rivals with both players—who ended up surpassing him in the slam tallies toward the twilight of his career.

Both rivalries had their share of intensity, but it’s especially his competition with Nadal that perhaps feels the most visceral. The matchups between the two titans captured the imagination of the public like no other— depicted brilliantly in the 2018 documentary, Strokes of Genius—with the King of Clay taking on the King of Grass that ignited the public and exponentially grew the sport. Their 2008 SW19 Final is considered by many the greatest match of all time (myself included).

Interviews with Djokovic and Murray will also be featured in the documentary coming to Amazon, which will likely prove captivating as well.

Although the release date has not been disclosed yet, the timing is likely to be around Wimbledon (July), the grand slam that represents Federer’s greatest achievements. Fed won a record eight Wimbledon trophies and he is considered practically royalty at the All England Club.

"During my career, I tended to shy away from having cameras around me and my family, especially during important moments. But I didn’t see the harm in shooting this as it was never intended for the public,” said Federer, via Variety. “However, we captured so many powerful moments, and it transformed into a deeply personal journey. I am happy to be partnering with Prime Video because of their vast global reach and significant presence in the film industry. This ensures that the story of my final days in tennis will resonate with both tennis enthusiasts and broader audiences worldwide."

It is sure to be a tennis fan’s dream so keep this on your radar for July.