‘Federer: Twelve Final Days’ review: A rudimentary yet nostalgic account of a sporting legend’s swansong

An emotional Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal during the Laver Cup, 2022
| Photo Credit: Prime Video/YouTube

For the millions of Roger Federer fans, the inevitable occurred on September 15, 2022, when the tennis legend read out an emotional note that confirmed his retirement from the game. “Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career,” he said, drawing the curtains on his 24-year glorious career, which saw him win 20 Majors and play more than 1500 games.

In the documentary Federer: Twelve Final Days, filmmakers Asif Kapadia and Joe Sabia track the 12 days that lead to the Swiss master’s final competitive match, playing doubles with arch-rival and great friend Rafael Nadal in the Laver Cup at London’s O2 Arena. It’s a brave idea to understand the mindset of a sporting legend as he gears up to be on court one last time.

However, the outcome is rather rudimentary, as we don’t feel the anticipation around the much-awaited swansong. We see Federer mostly trying to keep his emotions in check, and only a few light-hearted, nervous moments — expressing his fear of retirement — give us a sense of what’s inside his head. 

The initial portion of the documentary majorly deals with how multiple knee surgeries troubled Federer during the end of his career and nothing more. Given it’s an account of Federer’s life and career and the fact that Kapadia, a documentary expert, was at the helm of this project, we expect more depth from the product. But Kapadia doesn’t go beyond the core idea of documenting the final days of the tennis legend’s journey.

Federer: Twelve Final Days begins with the visuals of many incredible shots of Federer —  the jaw-dropping tweener and the incredible passing shots — as we see him grow from his boyish, aggressive personality to the stylish and well-rounded player. But it keeps us wishing to see him explain how he mastered these shots that made him an artistic genius.

The documentary is hardly revelatory, as it doesn’t find reasons behind Federer’s mystical aura. It doesn’t question how his legendary peers and the ever-growing competitive field of men’s tennis dented his invincibility, nor does it make an effort to understand his spirited attitude, which helped him rebuild his game and make a remarkable comeback becoming the oldest-ever world No.1.

Roger Federer with the Wimbledon Trophy.
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video/YouTube

Still, Federer’s thoughts on the game keep us interested amid the dull portions. Interestingly, he compares tennis with chess, saying “the battle between two players is psychological” and adding that he loved to beat his opponent at his own game. 

When the narrative shifts to the Laver Cup, we get a sense of how Federer had grown to become a terrific ambassador of the sport as his contemporaries and many yesteryear stars wax eloquent about his talent. 

In the press conference before the tournament, he talks about his first tennis hero, Bjorn Borg. When he broke in, Federer was seen as an ideal replacement for the great Pete Sampras, perhaps because of the Swiss’ dominance of the grass court like the 14-time Grand Slam Champion. But Federer remembers worshipping the legendary Bjorn Borg, as he was blown by his skills and stylish off-field image.

The best part of the documentary expectedly involves Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Djokovic is described as a party crasher, the second guest in Federer’s career. The Serbian had to really make a place for himself in a Federer-obsessed tennis community by correcting technical flaws and imbibing a never-say-die spirit. Federer admits to not having “given enough respect to Djokovic” in the initial stages of the Serbian’s career.

Meanwhile, his camaraderie with Nadal, despite the famed intense rivalry, is a beautiful anomaly. While he maintained a formal relationship with Djokovic, Federer saw Nadal as a good friend, and this explains why he informed his decision to hang up his boots to Nadal 10 days before he made it official. Their rivalry boosted tennis and helped both players thrive on the field.

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The emotional ending of the documentary, which shows the man breaking down more than once, is quite fitting and not overtly sappy. For those who have followed his game, to see the crucial moments of his final game, how everyone rallies around him, and his farewell words to his friends and fans is quite overwhelming.

The closing portions of the documentary is a nostalgic experience for Federer fans, and is sure to remind them of a time when they woke up at odd hours to see his effortless dominance, walk onto the court in big games, be thrilled at his devastating forehand or the pin-point first serve, and most importantly, listen to these crucial words from the umpire: “Game, set and match, Roger Federer!”

Federer: Twelve Final Days is streaming on Amazon Prime Video