The journalist from France Télévisions managed to penetrate the ultra-locked circle of the Swiss, who announced his retirement on Thursday, and met him several times for the writing of his biography "An adventure named Federer"*.
Absolute fan of the sportsman with the blindfold, he tells us why "Roggeur" arouses so much admiration throughout the world.
What makes Roger Federer so elegant on the court?
THOMAS SOTO.
First, he doesn't play like a brute, his balls are precise, he has an incredible one-handed backhand… And then it seems like he never sweats (laughs).
Roger Federer has this elegance that touches both sports fans and the general public.
You can appreciate it without knowing anything about tennis.
And then he wouldn't be what he is without Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
He still adapted his style of play to beat his Spanish rival… I don't know if he's more popular than Nadal, but he has that little extra bit of soul that makes him perhaps more loved.
How is he outside?
Once outside the court, he takes off the mask he wears when he plays and becomes a nice person again with a little “childish” side, almost “discomforting”.
I remember that before interviewing him for the first time for Europe 1, he was so hard to approach that I had made a circus not possible: I had a petition signed, I made a video with François Holland… It amused him and when I finally saw him, he told me that one day he had passed the premises of Europe 1 and that he had thought of calling me but… he didn't didn't have my number.
“The first time I met him, in 2016, he got up at the end of the interview to go and pay for the sodas we had consumed from his pocket.
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Thomas Sotto
Why do people like it so much?
Despite being one of the top 10 hardest people to approach in the world, he has never sought to be someone other than who he is.
We feel that what really fascinates him is tennis.
He maintains a great distance from his popularity and has always considered himself first and foremost as a player.
The first time I met him, in 2016, he got up at the end of the interview to pay for the sodas we had consumed from his pocket.
Roger Federer also created a foundation to help educate children in southern Africa, at only 22 years old.
One day I had the idea of filming him there to talk about his commitment, but he prefers to keep it away from the cameras and I think he's right.
He is committed but never adds to it.
Why will the legend continue?
Once again, he is one of the few sportsmen who have surpassed their sport.
With Nadal and Djokovic, they marked the history of tennis by winning 63 Grand Slams between them… But the announcement of his retirement remains very hard to swallow even if we expected it (laughs).
I remember that once, he confided to me that he wanted to choose the end of his career himself and not leave this decision to his knee… It is missed, but that does not detract from the legend .
Is there a match that particularly marked you?
Without hesitation the final of the Australian Open in 2017 against Nadal.
He is 35 years old, he is injured, nobody believes in him, and he ends up winning in five sets against his historical rival.
