And Federer? The Campionissimo lives happily even away from tennis, grappling with well-paid contractual obligations, family life, social outings. However, he found the time to answer a few questions on the web, to appease the curiosity of more or less small, more or less famous fans. We have thus learned that he lacks rivalry with Nadal up to a certain point (“yes and no” was the answer), but that he still knows how to use strong doses of self-irony on his defeats, given that he cites the most memorable match of the many against arch-rival Spain, «Roland Garros 2008», when, for the uninitiated, Roger lost 6-1 6-3 6-0. “Those 4 games were incredible,” Roger laughed via emoji, who also revealed that recently in Formula 1 a fan mistaken him for Rafa, asking him for a selfie. “I explained to him that I wasn’t Nadal, he apologized and left without taking the picture.”
Federer then revealed that he will be at Wimbledon – where a big party awaits him – but not to be a BBC commentator, as had been rumored lately, at least not for this year.
He was also questioned by well-known ‘fans’, such as Ivan Ljubicic who asked him: «Who is your favorite Croatian coach who is bald and has a backhand in one hand?». Roger’s answer, equally joking: «Let me take a look at the books and then I’ll tell you…».
Several advices were dispensed, for example on how to become international level athletes: «You have to surround yourself with the right people, listen and learn quickly». On how to handle defeats: “Leave them behind, don’t die about it, learn and take the positives… There is always something even in defeats.” What lessons from sport can be applied to everyday life: «Overcome adversity, don’t stop at the past. Staying creative and thinking outside the box, all important qualities as a tennis player and which still seem relevant to me today.” On how to optimize training: «In tennis you always want to improve many things, there are so many details that you have to be selective and methodical. A great coach helps you prioritize what to work on in what order and what the ultimate goal should be in the next 1/3/5 years. Wanting to improve everything at once can be a trap, so sometimes simplifying things works better.”
Federer then admitted that in a somewhat “crazy” way, he also misses all the hardships and stresses of life on the circuit: “for years I lived without even knowing what day of the week it was, only that on Monday a tournament started and on Sunday it ended”.
In closing, a sibylline answer that opens the field to many interpretations. “When are you going to play again?” an Arab fan asked him. “I’ve never really left,” Roger’s reply. We expect to see him soon on the field for some performances, for example in South America.