“A man who wins is a man who thinks he can,” is the first sentence readers encounter in Federer, and it sets the tone for the entire book.
While Roger Federer didn’t coin this quote (it’s a line from “Thinking,” an early twentieth century poem by an obscure writer), he made it famous—because everyone wants advice from a man who makes winning look so easy. It’s a prescriptive that stayed with me throughout my time editing Federer and one that shows up in all 336 pages. The more I sifted through Roger’s life, the more his list of accomplishments–instead of making me feel less than–had a halo effect. Roger, as you will discover in these pages, is a humanizing champion.
As an editor, I don’t always have the opportunity to meet the subjects. I can’t always verify if there's a walk to their talk. After working on Federer, I can tell you that Roger is nice. Very, very nice. When he and his wife Mirka first came to Assouline to discuss the book, we all sat down at a round table as they outlined the type of story they wanted to tell. It was a conversation between them and Prosper and Martine Assouline that defined the spirit of the book.
Making a book isn’t easy. But Federer was particularly challenging because you are defining a life. Not only does every image matter, but its placement is equally important. In Roger’s case, the narrative, after an introduction by German tennis journalist Doris Henkel, is divided into sixteen sections. The first chapter is about Roger’s beginnings, and the last is about his future. In between, we visit his athletic arc, including his legendary performances at major tournaments and slams. He shares his family life, moments from his childhood and his countless magazine covers and attendance at glamorous events. He also explores the Roger Federer Foundation, which has pledged $90 million towards early childhood education programs in Switzerland and across Southern Africa. A percentage of sales from this book will benefit the foundation.
But one of my favorite aspects of this title are the handwritten quotes from Roger himself. Once he flipped through the layout, he added them with a pen and paper and, okay, our scanner. They added a personal element to the book that only he could provide.
With Federer, the months-long wait to flip through the actual book was nail-biting. Was it going to be as good as I thought it was? Are people going to buy it? Will Roger like it? Well, the book is a massive success. A love letter to his fans, family, coaches, and of course tennis itself, Federer pays tribute to a legacy and cements it. To end with another quote, perhaps Anna Wintour said it best: “It’ not a question of who will be the next Roger Federer. There is, and there will always ever be, just one.”