There are some lovely, lighthearted moments among Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Andy Murray as they gather in London to prepare for the Laver Cup matches: at dinners (with legends like Björn Borg weighing in on everything), on boat rides, playing ping-pong in tuxedos (as one does), and generally hanging out with the kind of casual ease—tempered by respect for the occasion—that only legendary athletes seem capable of. (“I’ve had all day to think about my first return being a shank,” Federer jokes in the locker room, trying to shake off some understandable butterflies before his final match.)
Again, the tennis obsessives among us will never forget the images we saw from the Laver Cup at the O2—of Federer and Nadal struggling to contain their emotions, sitting next to one another on a bench at the side of the court, holding hands, lips quivering, tears streaming down their faces—and their emotional on-court farewell is the beating heart at the center of this film. But we also see what nobody outside of their circle has ever seen before: Federer walking back into the locker room after their final doubles match to find Nadal still sobbing, a towel hiding his face. The two share another embrace before Nadal wills himself into an emotional gearchange, shouting, “Okay, done!”
“At the end,” Federer reflects, “it was just, Okay, this is it—you know, what happens next?” And while the film doesn’t allow itself to speculate about the legend’s next move, outside of spending more time with his family, it’s stronger for it. We’re left with Federer’s final words, looking back at the entirety of his unforgettable career: “It’s been a perfect journey,” he says. “I’d do it all over again.”
Federer: Twelve Final Days streams on Prime Video from June 20.