This Tuesday, ESPN will present sports fans with an inside look of arguably the best men’s tennis player of all time and one of the greatest athletes of this generation, Roger Federer.
The half-hour show will be hosted by ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi as he traveled with the tennis star through a recent five-exhibition tour of Latin America. Roger Federer: Everywhere is Home will air Dec. 17 at 8pm ET.
“It was an unbelievable and amazing trip, each step along the way as the fans expressed their love of the sport and appreciation for the experience,” said the 38-year old Federer. “There were so many highlights, it was truly a magical adventure and a blast as well.”
The special features moments both on and off the court from Federer’s week-long tour in Latin America this past November. During the week, the 20-time Grand Slam champion had sold out exhibitions in Mexico City, Chile, Argentina and Ecuador. Another match in Bogota, Colombia was cancelled due to an abruptly imposed 8pm curfew by the government to control street riots.
“Before this trip, I’d interviewed Federer dozens of times, but on this trip, in planes, locker rooms and hotel suites, and through police motorcades, my understanding of him was almost completely recast,” Rinaldi said. “The reach of his fame, the reserves of his energy, the connection he has with fans – and the reservoirs of good will he engenders – all were unlike anything I’d ever witnessed. More than once, fans wept seeing him. At the start of the tour, we asked him why he wanted to do this, at 38 years old and after a long, exhausting season. ‘Motivation,’ was the heart of his answer.
“At the end of the tour, after his fourth straight night with less than four hours sleep, having played his last two matches at altitudes above 7,000 and 9,000 feet, respectively, he was still the most energetic on his entire team. And more motivated than when he’d started.”
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here