On Wednesday morning, fans flocked to the Uniqlo Fifth Avenue flagship shop in the hopes of catching a sight of Roger Federer.
Former tennis pro inside presenting first clothing line co-created with Jonathan Anderson. He retired in 2022. Starting on August 28th, the opening day of the U.S. Open, it will be available for purchase at Uniqlo.
Mr. Federer, now 41, has long licenced his RF trademark for merchandising purposes, but this endeavour is new. Some of the items in this collection include fleece zip-up jackets, nylon joggers, and quick-drying polo shorts.
Mr. Federer was cheerful and at ease as he showed off his new threads on the morning of the introduction. After all, fashion design is merely one of his many retirement pursuits.
Tennis has such a rich cultural heritage in terms of fashion. René Lacoste and Stan Smith, two great tennis players, wore these trainers. Keeping in mind our roots is crucial, in my opinion. I believe I have the ability to make tennis fashionable.
The pieces in my collection may be worn during or after a game. For some reason, I can’t quite put my finger on it, making the transition from the court to the real world has been challenging. Of course, you shouldn’t wear my clothing if you want to avoid looking like a sweaty mess, but even if that’s not the case, they’ll make you seem good out in public.
The first phase always makes me the most anxious. Having a goal in mind and sticking to it can help give your collection focus.
I wasn’t sure how I’d handle life without the game, without the spectators, and without the schedule that had dominated my life for the last 25 years. I wanted to come back and give it one more go so that I could quit the game while still being healthy, but it just wasn’t possible.
It wasn’t like I went from playing 100 matches to suddenly being done; things slowed down in the previous three years, thanks to both Covid and my knee surgery.
When it was all over, I was probably relieved and glad to be retiring. At the Laver Cup, it all came to a wonderful conclusion. My closest friends and family were present, along with the people I most feared as a competitor. Personally, I felt relieved and content. I have no reason to scratch that itch.
I attended the centenary celebration last year and made my way out onto Centre Court. It was stunning, but it hurt. Suffered an injury. A lot of emotion went into that game since I wasn’t sure whether I would ever play again. This year, though, was quite different. After a while of sitting and watching, my father murmured, “Don’t you wish you were playing on court instead of sitting and watching?” and my response was, “No. I’m happy just to be here and watch the game.
Fun times were had by everybody in the vicinity of Princess Catherine. Quite good, really. She not only enjoys the sport, but also plays it regularly. We need to watch our language use at times. You are allowed to speak, followed by extreme silence and applause.
I’ve increased the number of enjoyable family vacations I plan. For a charitable organization’s journey to Africa, I brought my kids with me to Lesotho. Our group attended the Met Gala. My parents and I took a trip on the Orient Express, something I could never have done if I still played.
