Translation of an interview with Roger in the current German Tennis Magazin

---

„Paris is an option“

He is the man of the records who still pushes forward into new spheres: Roger Federer.
Tennis Magazin talked to the Swiss about his plans, the return to the top, his family and the perfect professional

Interview: Christian Albrecht Barschel

Mr. Federer, you are the oldest #1 in tennis. Which significance does this have in your career?

It means a lot to me. Otherwise I wouldn‘t have travelled to Rotterdam. The #1 is an appreciation to all my coaches over all the years. They all pushed me forwards and helped me, inspired and motivated me – as well as my wife and my fans. It is a moment for everyone when you are standing at the very top, that is very special. And it is another record. I didn‘t knew before that it is a record in tennis in general. I could have also lived nicely without this record (grins).

Do you peer for further records? For example the one of Jimmy Connors with title victories and most won matches?

I think it either happens or it doesn‘t happen. If it would be my main goal I would play much more smaller tournaments. At the extreme skipping all Masters 1000 events and only play 250 and 500er tournaments. Should I really be able to break the tournaments that would mean that I played for a long time and was very successful. Otherwise those records aren‘t reachable. But honestly said: I‘m not concerned at the moment with records. They are coming on their own – like the one as being the oldest #1.

Let‘s talk about your 20th Grand Slam title which you have won at the Australian Open.

It was of course very special which you could also see at the ceremony. When I compare this title with the one from last year I have to say: Back then I had to fight so hard, it came as such a surprise and there were a lot of emotions involved. This year I made it into the final with ease, the semifinal was over after 1,5 sets. Then I was the favorite in the final which wasn‘t the case last year. 2017 the breakdown due to the joy came after the ceremony when I saw my whole family and friends. Each tournament victory has his story, no matter if Wimbledon or Halle. Big titles like the one at a Grand Slam tournament or the ATP WTF are special though.

How long persists the feeling of happiness after a title like the Australian Open?

Last year it was very long. Actually from Australia to Wimbledon. And then from Wimbledon to Australia. That‘s why I felt that the year was very short. Of course I also needed the victories like in Halle, Indian Wells, Shanghai and Basel which let me ride on the wave of success. This year everything was much easier. Directly after Melbourne I checked the situation with getting to #1. Last year it was clear that I had to recover because I was injured at the upper leg. This time it was mainly about how I can coordinate my schedule with my family. I knew that they wouldn‘t come to Rotterdam with me, to Dubai most likely not as well. Then the whole maths is starting and you count the days. How long am I away from the kids? Can I put everything together? When everything goes like in Rotterdam with a sold-out hall it is perfect. A few days later you are back at home and everyone congratulates you. Sometimes you came back from a longer trip and nobody congratulates you because the victories have been a while ago.

You could collect titles during the clay season. Do you plan the French Open?

It could be. I can neither say „never ever“ nor „for sure“. I have to think carefully about it and to listen to what my team advises me and how my body feels. Last year clay wasn‘t planned in my schedule. It was the first time in my career that I didn‘t play a Grand Slam tournament even though I was fit. That was a difficult decision. Should I play this year I will maybe combine Paris with another or maximal two tournaments.

Are the Olympic Games 2020 in Tokyo a topic? It‘s only 2,5 years until then.

That is not in my mind anymore at all. When there is the moment in which I have to decide whether I will play there or not then it is great. It isn‘t a goal like London or Rio have been. Back then people thought that I would retire before 2012. I have said I would continue to play until then. With Rio it was the same situation. I could use the long time to show people that they could reckon on me for some time to come. But I don‘t want to think 2,5 years ahead again. It could happen and it would be cool but I don‘t really think that much about Tokyo.

Your former coach Stefan Edberg ended his career with a farewell year. Would this be something for you?

I would exclude that. Stefan Edberg has totally dissuaded me from it. You don‘t want to get send off a whole year at each tournament. At the 4th tournament you think: „Oh God, now this again!“ and then you hear the same speech for 100 times. I understand the idea behinf it but I think he was afterwards totally exhausted and in the end he didn‘t enjoy it anymore. Everything has to fit with such a decision. The difference is also that Stefan was much younger than me.

What is your recipe for success?

The desire to want to improve and to see the tie as a step backwards, to be humble and to know what you can still improve. At the same time also to think positive and to be honest to yourself. Being a fighter, to overcome yourself in practice and in a match, has surely brought me quite some victories.

Can someone who has won as much as you still have goals in sport?

Yes, definitely. You know what is possible. You are realistic in a negative as in a positive way. You know your own strengths and weaknesses in the game and in your personality. It‘s not a problem to set yourself new goals again and again.

What is the attraction that you still play? The records which you want to break, the game itself or the experience to stand on court in front of 15 000 people?

You can‘t bring it on one point. It has to be a bit of everything. Maybe also that I want to prove to myself that I can still win a big tournament 15 years after my first Grand Slam title. I feel that I play differently today as 3 or 4 years ago. I want to see how far I can still develop. After my injury it was a new orientation anyway how I would do the next step. I always got new inputs from my coaches within the years. It‘s challenging to put that into practice. It‘s also very interesting to see how it works with the family. Then there are victories against the top players, titles, the preparation for Wimbledon and all the big tournaments which are still important for me today. I play less tournaments but they have priorities for me. What‘s also important is to have fun at practice.

Is the fun still as big as in the beginning?

Yes, I just like to practice. A training like here at the beginning of the tournament in Rotterdam where I hit balls for 45 minutes is a bit like a water tap which you open just a little bit. It trickles along and nothing really happens. You don‘t improve. You are doing it to get used to the court and settle down.

Did you have doubts after your injury in 2016 if you would be able to reach your best level once again?

Yes, but that‘s totally normal. You never know what will happen after surgery. No matter how small or big the operative surgery is there is always a risk. You have to be patient and trust your team and the process. It was an interesting time for me. I have learned a lot about myself. Of course there were doubts and rightly so. I knew that I would play tournaments again, that‘s what I was convinced about. I thought I was capable of 3 successful tournaments even when the knee wouldn‘t
cooperate that good. There was never the fear that I would never be able to play tennis again. But the question was: For how long? When I made the decision to take a 6 months break I felt that this was a lot of time. But I knew that I would eventually be back at 100%. That‘s why I was of good cheer.

Did you lose weight because of your injury? You look more slim than in the last 2 years.

Thanks for the compliment! I didn‘t really took care if I would lose weight. But I feel that I got a bit more slim in the face. When I was 20 years old I still had a babyface. During the years you get more rugged features. But it‘s true: When you can‘t preactice that much and can‘t play matches you have to take care of what you are eating.

So that you don‘t gain weight?

Exactly. But fortunately I‘m not as hungry as when I overexert myself. In 2009 I had sometimes backproblems and when I went on the scales then I thought: „Oh God, I gained 3 kilos even though I didn‘t eat differently.“ But I reacted immediately then before it got to much.

Let‘s get back to your family: How do you bring together playing tennis on 5 continents, having 4 kids and a wife?

Through good communication and organisation with my wife and my team. As long as my kids like it I don‘t have to worry that much. Of course we were worried in the beginning of how it would work with twins on the tour. And then we got twins twice. But it is going well and we all act in concert. I play a bit less meanwhile. Sometimes it‘s better when I go to a tournament alone like in Rotterdam. We were one month in Australia, then one month in Switzerland and then we are going one month to the States. Afterwards we are several months in Europe. That doesn‘t sound that brutal anymore as you would imagine. You have to be well organized. It doesn‘t only have to work for yourself but also for the family. We are very open and honest with each other.

What can you learn from your kids?

Kids think differently than adults and are very direct and logical in their way of thinking. We are sometimes to complicated. Kids bring you back down to earth and make you younger. As a father you are thinking back of your own childhood and learn a lot about yourself as a person. I‘m always impressed what they are already capable of. These are great times.

What makes you angry?

With the kids you sometimes have to fight when they won‘t listen to you for the 10th time. That is sometimes frustrating. At the tennis I‘m sometimes annoyed when I make a mistake. During practice even more than during a match. But I‘m calm most of the time and think positive.

The public perception focus more and more on the Grand Slam tournaments. How do you judge this development?

I always try to fight against it a bit. I think it started with Pete Sampras who really wanted to get the Grand Slam record and clearly stated that. (Sampras won his 14th Grand Slam title at the US Open 2002, editor‘s note) This raised the status of the Grand Slams. But Sampras didn‘t spoke for everyone, he spoke mostly for himself. I always said that the Grand Slam tournaments are great but they are just 4 out of 20 tournaments which I play the year. It‘s not all about the Grand Slams. I have a special connection to every tournament, no matter if it‘s the ATP WTF, Davis Cup or Laver Cup. You have to decide for yourself what‘s important. I think it‘s a pity that the media thinks today that it‘s only about 4 events and the rest doesn‘t matter. I always underlined that Halle isn‘t a preparation tournament for Wimbledon for me and Cincinatti not for the US Open. I don‘t like to see the other tournaments as a means to an end. But the importance of the Grand Slams was also raised through the players. Now everyone travels to Australia, all play on grass, on clay and on hard court. It wasn‘t like that in the past.

What are your wishes regarding a possible change of rules?

I don‘t see a reason to change the rules that much. We had the 1-5-1 rule at the Australian Open. After we arrived on the court we only had one minute until the coin toss, 5 minutes to warm up and then another minute until the first serve. That is a little difference for us players but it‘s good for the crowd to know that the match starts in 7 minutes. Such small changes are ok. I would be surprised though if the No-let-rule would get used for example. I was very impressed at the Next Gen Finals from Hawk-Eye-Live. I don‘t know though what would happen if the system wouldn‘t work. Then you would have to bring on a whole armada of linesmen. I would also like to see more data and stats in tennis. When you look US sport for example you see that everything is about stats there. We are way behind in tennis with this even though it got much better the last 5 years.


What else would be imaginable?

I think that we could develop some cool stuff like animations. I‘m of good cheer. Tennis has always the potential to bring up new superstars. I‘m excited myself what changes will come. I would keep the counting method.

Alexander Zverev had his big breakthrough last year. At the Grand Slams he fell short of expectations though. Do you have an advise for him?

I feel that he set himself to high aims. He goes into a tournament and thinks: „I should maybe win a Grand Slam after I already won in Rome and Montreal.“ That is a normal and logical way of thinking but when your thoughts are already at the final when you are in R2 and BP behind this is a burden. You are to far away with your head instead of concentrating on the point which you are about to play. I had the same problem at the beginning of my career. I failed miserably in Paris and Wimbledon when I lost in 3 sets in the first round. That continued until I noticed that I have to concentrate set by set, game by game and point by point. You are allowed to dream but you can‘t already be mental at a point which you haven‘t reached yet. Sascha will find this out because he is a to good and intelligent player not to come to this conclusion. He has to find a new mental approach and question himself. I don‘t think though that this will be a problem in the long run.
You played together with Zverev at the Laver Cup. Did the relationship to your colleagues changed due to this tournament which you helped initiating?

With Rafa not that much even though it was totally special to play doubles with him and to win in the same team. I got to know Sascha Zverev and Dominic Thiem much better in Prague. I met Marin Cilic later on during the winter break. It was especially good and a lot of fun to play with the young players in one team. I‘m full of plesant anticipation to play in Chicago against team World. Team Europe will be very strong again. I‘m there in any case and excited for the time when the rivals will become teammates to fight side by side for points for their team.

The Gerry Weber Open are most often the only German tournament which you play. This year you could win your personal „La Decima“ in Halle and win it for the 10th time. What does this tournament mean to you?

I always like to come back to Halle and have great times there. The Weber family is extremely important for the Gerry Weber Open. It was very nice for me that Gerhard and Ralf already trusted in me at a younger age and felt that the crowd would enjoy to see me play over there. It is the only lifetime contract which I have on the tour. Even with Basel, my hometown tournament, I don‘t have such a contract. I‘m glad that Halle has meanwhile become a 500 tournament. Maybe I get a lifetme contract after my career as an oldie for the Champions Trophy (grins).

If you could build the perfect tennis player: How would he look like?

That starts with a monster serve like John Isner, Ivo Karlovic or Pete Sampras when he was serving under pressure. With the forehand I would choose someone who can quickly generate power. For example Rafael Nadal, Fernando Gonzalez or James Blake. For footwork I would take Novak Djokovic. With the return I think of players who take the ball early like Andre Agassi or David Nalbandian. Right now I could also name Kei Nishikori or David Goffin. Also Djokovic who takes the ball a bit later but also brings it back way faster would be an alternative. For backhand I take Nalbandian but also players like Marat Safin or Stan Wawrinka come to mind. Is something missing? Oh yes, a volley player. I would go back into the time of Stefan Edberg, Patrick Rafter and Tim Henman.

Didn‘t you forget yourself?

I could also name myself but I wouldn‘t have a chance against this perfect player.

Reply · Report Post