"No one is going to ring the doorbell at 7 am" - Roger Federer relieved to be free of doping tests in post-retirement life
Roger Federer spoke about the unknown aspects of being a professional athlete in a recent interview, stating that fans might not know that there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes in the life of a sportsperson. Now that he is retired and no longer has to put up with them, the Swiss icon is relieved that he finally has the freedom to schedule his days.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with People magazine, Federer emphasized the rigors of a career in pro sports, lamenting the constant media duties and the unplanned doping tests.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion recalled how he had to undergo drug testing every day back in his playing days, meaning that it was a thing that he had to constantly worry about in the back of his mind.
"A lot of what you don't see about being pro that might not seem like work is actually a lot of work. There's of course the constant media, but also the drug testing. We have to do the doping tests all the time and give an hour of our day to it," Federer said.
"And they would come everyday, so you'd wake up and know in the back of your mind that somebody would be coming in to test you on the back of your hand, and so that hour of your life drops away," he added.
But now, the former World No. 1 was glad that he no longer has to deal with people ringing his doorbell early in the morning to test him.
"So now it's like, finally, no one is going to ring the doorbell at 7 a.m. this morning to come and test me. All those little things like that, they accumulated and actually ended up being quite big things," Federer said.
Roger Federer's last professional match came at Wimbledon in 2021, when he lost in the quarterfinals. He then played his farewell tournament at the 2022 Laver Cup, where he featured in a doubles clash with arch-rival and close friend Rafael Nadal.
"Retirement has been really good" - Roger Federer
Speaking in the interview with People magazine, Roger Federer also mentioned how his retirement life was going otherwise, stating that he was very happy nowadays.
While the 20-time Grand Slam champion admitted that it was a 'weird' feeling to know that he is retired, he was also relieved about the same, revealing that he did not feel so great about himself at the end of his playing days.
“I’m really, really happy. Retirement has been really good. It was a weird feeling but also a good one. I hadn’t felt great for years at the end, so it was a huge relief," Federer said.