Amazon Prime Video confirmed a Roger Federer documentary covering the last 12 days before he retired from the sport back in September 2022. The production will be helmed by multiple award-winning director Asif Kapadia.
Now, fans can get an insider view of the final days of Federer’s career. Amazon has onboarded renowned director Kapadia to oversee the project. He is known for his biopics, which have received rave reviews and many awards. The British filmmaker most famously directed documentaries of Ayrton Senna, Amy Winehouse, and Diego Maradona. Amy won the 2016 Academy Award for Documentary Feature. Senna, meanwhile, bagged multiple BAFTA awards.
Kapadia also served as the executive producer for Ronaldo, the much-acclaimed biographical documentary on Cristiano Ronaldo. He also directed a couple of episodes of the hit Netflix show, Mindhunter.
With the untitled Roger Federer documentary, Kapadia will be returning to the director’s chair after two years. The production will feature interviews with Federer’s biggest rivals-turned-friends, including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. More interestingly, his wife Mirka, who usually shies away from the media, will also be seen talking about her husband. The exact release date will be revealed soon as reports state a July release is on the cards, around Wimbledon.
Federer retired from professional tennis in September 2022. He had not played on the ATP Tour since the 2021 Wimbledon. However, he returned to the court one last time during the Laver Cup, a competition managed by his agency Team8. He bid adieu to the sport amid a teary farewell.
The Roger Federer documentary was supposed to be only a private home video
In their official announcement, Prime Video revealed that a commercial biopic on Federer was not the original plan. The Swiss icon wanted the days building up to his retirement to be documented for his personal use. He said it was only for the viewing of his family and close friends. He got Joe Sabia, creator of Vogue’s 73 Questions, to film the footage ahead of the 2022 Laver Cup. The former World No.1 said he agreed to it despite being camera-shy because it was not intended for public release (Variety).
“Initially, the idea was to capture the final moments of my professional tennis career so that I could have it later on to show my family and friends. During my career, I tended to shy away from having cameras around me and my family, especially during important moments. But I didn’t see the harm in shooting this as it was never intended for the public.”
However, when Roger Federer and his team saw the acquired videos, they felt it could be something bigger than a home movie. Amazon acquired the rights and got Asif Kapadia on board with Sabia serving as co-director. Federer was thrilled that the documentary covering the final days of his career was getting a global release.
“However, we captured so many powerful moments, and it transformed into a deeply personal journey. I am happy to be partnering with Prime Video because of their vast global reach and significant presence in the film industry. This ensures that the story of my final days in tennis will resonate with both tennis enthusiasts and broader audiences worldwide.”
