"Sports people die twice."
So says one of Roger Federer's inner circle in this fly-on-the-wall/net documentary that begins with the release of his retirement announcement in September 2022 and wraps a little under two weeks later with his last professional game among fellow greats and stars of the future at the Laver Cup in London. As send-offs go, this film is a nice one. Not big on hold-your-breath drama by any stretch but quite the heartstring-puller all the same.
With the dreaded news delivered to the world within the first 10 minutes, a different energy takes over for the rest of the film as it focuses on Federer's interactions with family, friends, and fellow players while the countdown clock does its thing and he tries to keep his emotions in check. After 24 years, 1,005 matches, and four knee surgeries, he has his work cut out. Fans will too - and many an A-game will crumble.
Director Asif Kapadia previously delivered the superb documentaries Senna, Amy, and Diego Maradona. For this one he teams up with Joe Sabia, the creator of Vogue's 75 Questions, in a doubles pairing that shouldn't leave it at just the one project. Next time they need to do something with more bite, but they do pull off one remarkable thing here: Federer is - gasp! - more likeable by the closing credits than he was at the beginning.
That viral Ying and Yang moment of himself and Rafael Nadal in floods of tears on the sidelines? Rest easy, that's here in all its let-it-all-out glory, one of sport's most iconic rivalries and friendships laid bare. When time eventually catches up with the Spaniard, he and his Swiss soulmate should also do more screen stuff together. Their chemistry is effortless, and, in truth, you could've happily spent another 90 minutes just watching them shoot the breeze. See to it, entertainment gods!
There have been plenty of documentaries and shows already about Roger Federer and, no doubt, there will be more to come. This short goodbye justifies its place among them. Summers aren't the same without him in action, but Federer stresses that he will not be "a ghost" and we'll still see lots of him in all those familiar places. "Yes, it's painful. Yes, it's hard, but I am happy," he concludes.
Another triumph to add to the list, then.
Federer: Twelve Final Days is streaming on Prime Video.
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