“Athletes only die twice,” says a voice in “Federer: The Last 12 Days,” a new documentary that premiered at the TriBeCa Film Festival on Monday night.
Movie Review
Roger Federer: The last 12 days
Running time: 100 minutes. Rated R (some language restrictions apply). Available on Prime Video from June 20th.
For tennis fans, superstar Roger Federer’s retirement in 2022 at age 41 has undoubtedly sent waves of sadness through the ranks.
Known for his graceful movements, effortless power and style, the Swiss ace has dominated courts around the world for more than two decades.
So when the 20-time Grand Slam champion hung up his racket for good, the vibe was more one of the death of a champion than a generational change. For many, Roger Federer was tennis.
“It’s been quite a journey,” Federer told the crowd at Chelsea’s SVA Theatre. “Twenty-five years after I started playing tennis, I’m still standing.”
The former world number one added that he initially simply hired the filmmaker to film a personal record of that eventful period as a memorial to his family.
“This was meant to be for the vault, and for my kids someday, and my grandkids,” Federer said onstage. “I always try to keep my private life private.”
But the cautious athlete was eventually persuaded to let fans watch some enlightening behind-the-scenes footage of the tense days leading up to his eventual Laver Cup debut in London.
“I only cried six times,” he said of the film.
Federer, who has been sidelined by a lingering knee injury and a failed surgery, has been training hard to get himself fit for his final match.
Directors Asif Kapadia and Joe Sabia’s aim wasn’t journalistic in nature, so the moving piece isn’t packed with shocks and jolts, nor is it a biopic tracing the man’s journey from Basel ball boy to GOAT.
Instead, “The Last Twelve Days” is a tender, gentle film that delves into the mind of a deeply mysterious character as he asks a relatable and terrifying question: “What next?”
First, Federer was seen recording his retirement announcement for social media and calling friends, including Vogue editor and tennis fanatic Anna Wintour, to let them know.
He acknowledged that he had told his arch rival, Rafael Nadal, the sad news by phone 10 days ago.
It’s particularly moving to see Federer’s wife, Mirka, and their four children, who exude a refreshing tension in front of the cameras, supporting their father through this difficult transition.
“Three of my four kids cried,” he says.
The player is also getting help from teammates who once fought alongside him on the baseline.
Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic are referred to by the press as “the Big Three” (and Andy Murray is sometimes included in that group), and together they dominated tennis for two decades, winning an astounding 66 Grand Slam titles between them.
“The Last Twelve Days” is also an ode to the legacy of unprecedented rule that is rapidly coming to an end.
What unintentionally gives the new documentary more depth are the major events that have happened in tennis in recent weeks.
The 38-year-old Nadal lost in the first round at Roland Garros in Paris, a tournament he has won 14 times.
And the then-in-top-form 37-year-old Djokovic underwent emergency knee surgery last Wednesday for a torn meniscus, the same injury that ended Federer’s career.
It’s the cycle of life. While legends struggled, 21-year-old Spanish rising star Carlos Alcaraz won his third Grand Slam title at the French Open on Sunday.
The next day, Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, 22, from Italy, became the new world number one.
They are now the future of tennis, and the one takeaway from the Federer documentary is to enjoy it while it lasts.
