"I feel horribly exhausted, I could go for a nap right now" - When Roger Federer had mixed feelings after final professional match of his career

Roger Federer played the final professional tennis match of his career in 2021, at the Wimbledon Championships. As the sixth seed, the 37-year-old beat the likes of Cameron Norrie and Lorenzo Sonego to reach the final-16, where he lost to Hubert Hurkacz.

Speaking at the press conference after his 3-6, 6-7(4), 0-6 defeat, the former World No. 1 admitted that he was very "disappointed" that moment, while at the same time felt like he had a weight taken off his shoulders. The Swiss icon attributed it to the end of a tournament, a feeling he felt regardless of whether he won it or not.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion further added that he felt "horribly exhausted" as well, joking that he would like to go for a nap. Federer found the entire situation quite funny, with putting everything on the line for two weeks only to feel so mentally exhausted at the end of it that he would rather sleep than anything else.

"I felt very disappointed in the moment itself. I still am. At the same time there's always a weight that falls off your shoulders when a tournament is over, when a huge goal is made or missed. It doesn't matter actually. You feel the weight is gone and you're exhausted. I feel horribly exhausted. I could go for a nap right now. That's how I feel," Federer said.

"It's a funny feeling to have, to be honest. You put everything on the line, and when it's all over you could just go sleep because you're so exhausted from the mental, pushing yourself forward, and trying everything," he added.

"I know I will be upbeat again, I know how I am in these situations" - Roger Federer

Amazon MGM Studios And Prime Video Upfront

Regardless of the pain in the moment, Roger Federer maintained during the press conference that he knew he would be upbeat soon, as it was a situation he had overcome many times in the past. The Swiss icon emphasized that it was usual for him to be very hard on himself, only to be totally fine again in a few hours or days and become his usual self.

"Like you said, the last 18 months have been long and hard. Then again, if I take the perspective, I'm always very happy about a lot of things that happened the last few weeks, the last few months."

"I know [I] will be upbeat again shortly. I know how I am in these situations. I feel like I go maybe very hard on myself, I get very sad, and then go by a few hours, I mean, maybe even a few days, who knows, I don't think so, then I'll be totally fine again and be my old self," Roger Federer said.

After his Wimbledon 2021 stint, Federer returned to have a final emotional hurrah in front of fans one last time at the 2022 Laver Cup, where he played a doubles encounter partnering Rafael Nadal in his final appearance on the tour.