"It's been good, I have to be careful I don't do too many things" - Roger Federer opens up about post-retirement life
Roger Federer recently opened up about his life after having retired from professional tennis in 2022, as he now tries to maintain a healthy routine and enjoys spending time with his family.
The former World No. 1 walked away from the sport last year, with his final appearance on the tour coming at the Laver Cup in London. In the last match of his professional career, Federer partnered with Rafael Nadal for a doubles match, and they lost to the American pair of Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
The 42-year-old recently appeared on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast where he was asked if retirement turned out to be what he had hoped for. In response, the Swiss icon said that there was a learning curve in accepting the reality of retirement.
"That's a good question, I am not sure what I thought it was going to be. I just, I think I was open to the idea to see, let's find out. I did not have any plans per se because you know I was trying to always come back and all of a sudden, I realised, 'That's it'," Federer said.
"And then I am like, 'Okay, well it's over and what now?' And so I think now, since six months, I feel like I am more in charge of my schedule. Whereas before, I was still just, how do you say, it was more the afterburn of having just retired," he added.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion relayed that he is wary of overworking himself in retirement but is happy to be traveling the world and spending time with his loved ones.
"So it's been good honestly, I have to be careful I don't do too many things, you know? But at the same time, I am really happy to be busy and I like being with other people, love being with my family, and I love to travel. But I guess sometimes, I try to make sure I get the right balance and I feel like I have that, so, things are great," Federer said.
"When you know your knee doesn't allow you to play at this level, your mind doesn't even go there" - Roger Federer
During the same interview on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, Roger Federer was asked if staying away from the tour was easier than he had anticipated. In response, he detailed that physically, he was not capable of playing at the highest level and so, his mind automatically knew the reality too.
"Yeah, yeah definitely. I think also when you know your knee doesn't allow you to play at this level, your mind doesn't even go there, that I could be on court right now, you know. So just enjoying tennis for what it is and I follow the results almost daily, I like to see what's going on out there and yeah, it's just, it's not even a thought, you know," Federer said.
"I have a great time, when I dive back in, like coming here to Shanghai, I feel really happy. When I am not there, I feel happy where I am, so I go with the flow and I like that no day is ever the same, so, it's great," he added.
Roger Federer was also asked how he likes to follow tennis. He said he doesn't have the time to watch full games and mostly relies on highlights.
"Yeah, mostly highlights. Sometimes, when I am a bit more intrigued, then I maybe go on YouTube and check maybe, sort of a four-five-minute highlight, to get a feel for the match a bit more. It's hard for me to sit through matches, just because I don't have the time, to be honest with you. With the children and all the stuff that's going on in my life, it's hard to say like, 'Okay, on that day I will watch that match'," Federer said.