"I prefer not to publish anything": Roger Federer opens up about the invisible pressure of social media
"It's a love-hate relationship." For the first time, Roger Federer speaks candidly about the impact of social media on his personal life... and on the most significant moment of his career: the announcement of his retirement.
He dominated the courts for two decades. He won 20 Grand Slam titles. He brought millions of fans to tears in September 2022 during his final farewell to professional tennis. But what no one knew was that the hardest part wasn't leaving the court. The hardest part was publishing the announcement.
"I find it difficult, to be honest"
In a rare moment of media intimacy, Roger Federer reveals his growing discomfort with the pressure of social media, this digital world where every word is scrutinized, commented on... and sometimes distorted.
A generation under pressure
Today, Federer admits: "Sometimes, I prefer not to think about publishing anything at all. If I read ten comments and nine are positive, a single negative comment won't make me question my backhand. The problem is the constant need to post. Before, it was slower. Simpler.
As soon as you publish something, everyone sees it, like when I announced my retirement. I'm quite... I don't know how to handle this."
When he started his career in the early 2000s, his main channel of communication with fans was... his official website. No stories, no likes, no buzz. Just tennis, results, and a few news updates. Today, the world has changed. And Federer with it.
A moment he would have liked to experience differently, away from the virality and the obligatory staging.
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