Netjets US Summer 2023

OWNER’S PROFILE
GAME,
SET ,
MATCH:
FEDERER
In one of his first wide-ranging interviews since stepping away from the
tennis court, the former world No 1 and 20-time major winner reflects
on the final chapter of his storied career, how his last match came
about, and what he has in store for the future. // By Farhad Heydari
HIS ON-COURT PRESENCE has been likened to a master
class in artistry—what with his effortless balletic footwork,
his aerial superiority, his ageless one-handed backhand,
his fluid dexterity, speed and power. And, oh, that brutal
forehand, described as a “great liquid whip” by the novelist
David Foster Wallace in an appreciative New York Times essay.
It was a 25-year presence (an omnipresence, really) that first
caught our attention and imagination in the summer of 2001
and lasted right up until he stepped away from the game in
the autumn of 2022.
So, what has the 41-year-old, eight-time Wimbledon men’s
singles champion been up to since that fateful day when he
said goodbye to the game? In a wide-ranging conversation
ahead of a breakfast with NetJets Owners at New York’s
Rainbow Room, Federer—whose ethereal play, boundless
sportsmanship, conscientious ethos, and unwavering decency
will live in legend and lore as one of the greatest to ever grace
a court—talked to NetJets, The Magazine about his plans and
priorities as well as his winning formula and his thoughts on
everything from parenting to pickleball.
DO YOU MISS IT?
Honestly, I don’t. Certainly, not the whole package. I do miss
some aspects of it: the winning feeling, for example. And,
looking back, I do miss some of the regular travel—getting
to see and hang out with all my friends on the road. And
connecting with the fans. These are things I obviously do
miss. So, I had to recalibrate my life a little bit, which has
PICTURE ALLIANCE / PHOTOSHOT
40 NetJets