Roger Federer: "The Federer fans became more and more the older I got; people will get a chance to see me again"
Roger Federer reflected on the fanfare he received as his legendary status in tennis kept growing over the years. Soon after bidding goodbye to the sport in an emotional farewell, the Swiss tennis legend took the opportunity to thank his legion of fans for their support before sending them a special message.
Federer feels that he has earned more fans the longer he continued on his tennis journey. He then expressed his feelings towards them, stating that he will miss traveling around the world on tour and interacting with his followers.
The Swiss legend opened up about this aspect of his career during a recent interview with the ATP Tour.
"This is definitely a big moment for me to thank everybody who has always supported me. I feel the Federer fans became more and more the older I got," he said.
"If I had all these emotions on the court, it's because of the fans. They know that, I know that, and those are the things I'm going to miss. Traveling around the world, have somebody wait for me, and be so excited to see me, that's why I wrote in the letter that I love tennis and I will see you around," he added.
Federer reiterated his promise that he will always stay close to the sport and made a commitment to his fans that he will share more special moments with them in the future.
"For me, it was important to remind the fans that I will not leave the game and I will be there. People will get a chance to see me again. We'll have moments again, they might be different, but they will be beautiful moments. It was important to remind myself that and also the fans, who I am so very thankful to," the 20-time Grand Slam champion expressed.
The Swiss maestro's final career match at the Laver Cup and his emotional farewell ceremony brought him to tears, along with some of his great rivals. Visuals of him holding hands and crying with Rafael Nadal made waves across the tennis world and beyond, with many terming it as the most emotional moment in sports history.
"I brought tears to sport and to tennis, I was probably quite famous for it" - Roger Federer
Roger Federer opened up about his feelings during the teary-eyed farewell ceremony and other emotional moments during his tennis career. He suggested that he is quite famous for crying on the court and has cried after numerous matches in the past, expressing that he is glad he was able to express his emotions clearly at all times. The Swiss great stated that he will never forget his emotional retirement night.
"It's been incredible when I cried on the court and I brought tears to sport and to tennis. I know it's happened in the past and I was probably quite famous for it. I'm happy I lived through those emotions and at the same time it made me really appreciate the moment and it will never be forgotten," Federer said.
The eight-time Wimbledon champion also reiterated that he intends to stay connected to the sport in some capacity in the future, be it in commentary, coaching, or something entirely different. He is an integral part of the founding team for the Laver Cup and said that he will continue to play a key role in the tournament despite not playing anymore.