Roger Federer “Cried Like Six Times” Watching Amazon Doc About Last 12 Days of His Tennis Career
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Roger Federer — who’s about to get the sports doc treatment on Amazon — has had a busy few days in Los Angeles.
On March 10, he attended the Oscars for the second time with his wife Mirka, and afterward hit the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Two nights later, Federer and eyewear company Oliver Peoples threw a celebrity-studded dinner at Sunset Tower — attended by the likes of Trevor Noah, Sharon Stone, Edgar Ramirez, Maria Sharapova, Jay Ellis and Lindsey Vonn — to celebrate his new sunglasses line with the brand.
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And while there’s no date yet set for his documentary, Federer recently saw a screening of the feature-length film, which is helmed by Oscar-winning director Asif Kapadia (Amy) and co-director Joe Sabia.
The tennis great told GQ that he was emotionally walloped by watching the doc and reliving moments that are in the film, which follows the last 12 days of his pro career before his retirement in September 2022 and includes interviews with such fellow athletes as Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. “I watched a screening the other day, it was hard-core. I cried like six times,” said Federer, who, during his time in Los Angeles, was also shooting new campaign imagery for his just-debuted RF Oliver Peoples shades line.
At the Oscars, he revealed one of the first pieces from the collection, the Mr. Federer, a classic shape made from a lightweight bio-nylon ($502), which comes in five colorways. Federer (styled by Jim Moore for the Academy Awards’ red carpet) wore the version that features black frames and green lenses, which he paired with his white Prada dinner jacket and a Rolex Daytona Le Mans watch.
“It was so exciting to be back at the Oscars,” Federer tells The Hollywood Reporter exclusively. “There were many memorable moments from that evening. Of course, the ‘I’m Just Ken’ performance was super lively and fun to watch. Witnessing Cillian Murphy accept the Oscar felt like the whole room was really in support of his win for the incredible performance he gave in Oppenheimer. The Rolex greenroom backstage was especially fun, to witness the energy of the winners and presenters as they were coming off the stage. All around, I had a great time!”
At the dinner at Sunset Tower on March 12, two days after the Oscars, Federer was sitting deep in conversation at a long table in the hotel’s Tower Bar, chatting with Noah, Stone and Ramirez. Earlier in the evening, he gave a toast to celebrate his new sunglasses line and recalled the first time he visited Los Angeles 20 years previously.
“I remember the very first time I landed in L.A. back in 2004, I just had won the U.S. Open and my friend told me I should stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel. OK, I stayed there because he said so. I went to Rodeo Drive because that’s what you do and there was a guy standing there and he looked at me and he didn’t recognize me, but he said, ‘You know what, you can be an actor.’ Believe me. And I looked at him like, ‘What? No.’ I did not become an actor, I don’t know what that man is doing today, but what I do know is that I have a billboard right outside the hotel and I have a great eyewear collection together with Oliver Peoples.”
At Oliver Peoples’ Sunset Tower dinner, THR also spotted a host of fashion folk in the mix including stylists Andrew Mukamal, Warren Alfie Baker, Petra Flannery and Erin Walsh, and models Alessandra Ambrosio, Elsa Hosk and Barbara Palvin.
The new RF Oliver Peoples line comprises six styles, including two shield frames for sports activities, representing the first time that Oliver Peoples has created a shield design. Details include color enhancement, polarized lenses and rubber grips for the nose pads and temple tips. “We wanted to ensure the frames fit well and do not slide. With this, we created rubber grip details that sit on the back of your ears and nose. Especially with the adjustable rubber nose pads, the frames are comfortable and look strong on your face, without being too tight,” said Federer.
The sunglasses, available now on oliverpeoples.com and in stores (from $390 to $502), also feature a plaque with Federer’s lucky number eight — the tennis legend’s birthday is not only 8/8/81, but he also has won eight Wimbledon titles. And every pair also features the collection’s signature RF logo. Attention was paid as well to making sure each style was lightweight, with no design weighing more than 35 grams.
Federer recalls that he bought his very first pair of sunglasses from Oliver People more than 20 years ago. “Sunglasses are something I’ve enjoyed as my sport has required me to chase the sun 80 percent of my life. One of the main goals of our collection was to create sunglasses that could be utilized in every aspect of one’s routine — off or on the court,” Federer said.
Oliver Peoples — founded in 1987 in Los Angeles and headed by CEO Rocco Basilico — is owned by Luxottica and has also done collabs with Brunello Cucinelli, The Row and Khaite.
More pics from inside Roger Federer and Oliver Peoples’ Los Angeles dinner at Sunset Tower follow:
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