Portrait of a Champion. Roger Federer and Ugo Rondinone

'Portrait of a Champion. Roger Federer and Ugo Rondinone' presented by Crédit Suisse.

In the year leading up to Roger Federer’s tearful swan song to tennis at the Laver Cup, the sporting legend got the chance to be heavily involved in one of his other great life passions — art.

While recuperating from a long-term injury, he met renowned artist Ugo Rondinone. For the next year, the Swiss natives would collaborate on an ambitious installation that debuted at the 2022 Venice Biennale.

The result is 'human clouds,' the centerpiece of Rondinone’s three-part exhibition 'burn shine fly,' housed in the beautiful and historic Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista church. It comprises seven airborne figures — life-sized, cloud-painted bodies — one of which was unveiled only now as Federer.

For Rondinone, his work showed the complex relationship between nature and humans — and a “deep reflection about the marvels and mysteries of life.” For Federer, the development of his relationship with the artist and the experience of being immersed in something fresh, challenging and confronting ultimately proved the perfect canvas to contemplate retirement and provided a bold step toward a new beginning.

Discover the full movie, produced by NBCUniversal in partnership with Credit Suisse, on CNBC.com