Roger Federer is not only one of the greatest tennis players of all time, but also certified polyglot (he’s also on a Swiss coin, was voted most stylish man of the decade and was the best paid athlete in 2020, in case you were feeling good about yourself). Thanks to those skills, he’s the first celebrity voice on Waze to give directions in no less than three languages (French, German and English), Google announced. Federer joins a host of personalities including Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Kevin Hart and others who’ve loaned their voices to Waze.
On top of supplying turn-by-turn directions, Federer helps get you pumped up for your commute. “It’s drive time — I can feel the adrenaline kick in already,” he says in one recording. “Time to ride! Trust your ability. I’m ready to coach you along the way,” he declares in another. He even has some words of encouragement if you screw up: “Make a U-Turn. Hey, even champions can mess up.”
While Google continues to add well-known voices to Waze, Amazon is doing the opposite. Earlier this week, the company announced that it was ditching Alexa’s celebrity voices and would issue refunds upon request. The feature, which originally cost $1 before being boosted to $5, offered voices including Shaquille O’Neal, Melissa McCarthy and Samuel L. Jackson.
In any case, judging by the responses to Waze’s tweet, Federer fans are more than excited to be guided by that famous, lightly accented voice — perfect for a European road trip.
