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ROGER FEDERER’S DARTMOUTH GRADUATION SPEECH WENT VIRAL FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS

MADISON WILLIAMS | JUN 10, 2024

Tennis legend Roger Federer gives a speech at Dartmouth University's graduation.
/ Dartmouth/Screengrab


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Roger Federer delivered an already iconic graduation speech at Dartmouth
University over the weekend, inspiring more than just the students sitting in
the audience.

He opened the speech noting how coincidental it was that Dartmouth's colors are
green since "grass is my favorite surface." Federer, of course, was nodding to
his eight Wimbledon titles.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion admitted that he didn't even finish high school,
let alone attend college, because of his tennis career. He reeled the students
in with his comparisons to their current position as graduates to his current
lifestyle as a retired tennis player. Federer retired after the 2022 Laver Cup.

"So I never went to college... but I did graduate recently. I graduated tennis,"
Federer said. "I know the word is 'retire.' 'Roger Federer retired from tennis.'
Retired... The word is awful. You wouldn’t say you retired from college, right?
Sounds terrible.

"Like you, I’ve finished one big thing and I’m moving on to the next. Like you,
I’m figuring out what that is. Graduates, I feel your pain. I know what it’s
like when people keep asking what your plan is for the rest of your life. They
ask me: 'Now that you are not a professional tennis player, what do you do?' I
don’t know… and it’s O.K. not to know."

Federer's core of his speech, though, was focused on three tennis lessons:
"Effortless" is a myth, it's only a point and life is bigger than the court.

The second lesson, "it's only a point," specifically stood out to audiences
watching the speech online as Federer made some interesting observations about
his tennis career. For instance, he revealed that in his career, he won 80% of
his matches but only won 54% of the points he played.

"When you’re playing a point, it is the most important thing in the world. But
when it’s behind you, it’s behind you," Federer said. "This mindset is really
crucial, because it frees you to fully commit to the next point… and the next
one after that… with intensity, clarity and focus. The truth is, whatever game
you play in life... sometimes you’re going to lose. A point, a match, a season,
a job... it’s a roller coaster, with many ups and downs. And it’s natural, when
you’re down, to doubt yourself. To feel sorry for yourself. And by the way, your
opponents have self-doubt, too. Don’t ever forget that. But negative energy is
wasted energy. You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That to
me is the sign of a champion."



Federer couldn't help but give an actual tennis tip to end his speech, too, as
he demonstrated how to better your forehand. This sparked some laughter in the
crowd.

Check out Federer's full speech below.



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Published Jun 10, 2024

MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports
Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports
from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The
Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s
in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.



Follow madisonwsports



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