General Interviews 2017-2018

Definitely read this interview that Roger did with TIME this week (3 days post AO).  Within that article is a link to the article written off this interview.  Read both.  Well worth it!!!

https://time.com/4659015/roger-federer-interview-tennis/?xid=homepage

Fantastic interview and article. I can't wait for Dubai. And somehow, I'm going to Cincinnati this year - assuming Roger plays there.

Thanks to everyone for all the links!

Thanks for this great interviews ! I particularly like this: "Just because I don't sweat like crazy and I don't grunt, I don't have this face on when I hit the shot like I'm in pain, doesn't mean I'm not trying hard. It's just how I play. Sorry."

Thank you so much for the interviews!

I absolutely love the Time interview, thank you for sharing! Love that quote too about his mental strength

Here is an interview article with Stuart Appleby out today (Sunday). He refers to his injury, but is confident the worst is behind him. A feel good piece about Dubai as his second home too.  There is a video of snippets of the interview included as well.

https://sport360.com/video/dubai_duty_free_championships/224478/dubai-duty-free-tennis-roger-federer-happy-to-be-back-in-the-city-he-knows-well-but-admits-return-to-court-is-step-into-unknown-after-injury-problem

Video part alone

Roger Federer Q&A: I hope Tiger Woods can get back in the swing

February 26, 2017

DUBAI // Saddened by golfer Tiger Woods’s recent struggles with injuries, Roger Federer is hoping the American will bounce back soon from his travails and add to his 14 major titles.

Woods was in action here earlier this month, in the Dubai Desert Classic, but pulled out of the tournament with a back spasm after shooting a five-over-par 77 on the opening day. It was only his third tournament after a 15-month absence. He finished 15th in an 18-man field in December’s Hero World Challenge and then missed the cut at Torrey Pines.

A couple of weeks ago, he rescheduled and then cancelled his news conference at the Genesis Open, a tournament hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation in Pacific Palisades.

"I really wish, of course, he could come back and win again — I wouldn’t want anything else but that. It would be great," said Federer, as he compared their early careers, the struggles with injuries and the battles against a younger generation.

"I think you have to get used to the whole losing part a little bit," said Federer, as he talked about ageing on the Tour. "You don’t want to accept it like it’s become a normal trend, but it’s definitely something you have to learn how to deal with.

"For me it was normal growing up to lose, lose a lot sometimes. And then once I got into the whole winning bit, then the losing part was harder again because it’s like we are creatures of habit; we get used to it.

"But it’s a very fine line of accepting it and moving on, and just saying, ‘OK, I’ll go at it again next day’, and getting angry, sad, disappointed about it. I think everybody takes it different — that’s when the character comes into play. Also, the childhood I think.

"Tiger, for instance, had a very dominant childhood as well. Virtually everywhere he went, he won as a junior already. I didn’t have that. So for me, it was a bit of a different upbringing. I wasn’t supposed to be the next tennis superstar. He wanted to be the best golfer in the world and he achieved that. So yeah, quite a different life."

Federer also spoke about his stunning triumph at the Australian Open last month, the emotions and celebrations, at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships’ media day on Sunday.

The Australian Open triumph, was that a surprise given the long lay-off you had?

"Yeah, totally surprising. Back when I was here end of this December, when I did the Periscope live and in the Q&A I was asked, ‘so what are your chances for Australia’ and I was like, "Oh, I don’t know … we’ll find out, but I am happy with really any result’.

"So it came as a really huge surprise. Incredible moment, some of the strongest probably I have ever felt as a tennis player. Plus, today as a more experienced tennis player, I can grasp it quicker and better.

"But thankfully, it’s taken a long time to really just understand everything that has happened and it was nice not having a tournament to play right away. So my last shot is still the forehand cross-court, it’s still match point, it’s still the Rafa [Rafael Nadal] match is my last match if I am talking about tennis. That’s what I have in mind. So I am still riding the wave if you like.

"It’s been such a tough year last year at some many levels, playing basically one healthy tournament last year in Australia. And the rest of it, I was sick in Brisbane or injured or not well or hurt throughout. So for me to then come back this way, couldn’t have been any better way. It’s amazing."

Have you tried to watch the final again?

"I haven’t seen the whole match. I had friends over and everybody said, ‘Let’s watch the match and make a movie night’, and I am like, ‘No, not three-and-a-half hours, please’. But I have seen a million highlights — again and again and again — of the fifth set, of the best shots or best shots of the tournament. I got sent so many compilations of stuff, with music and emotional stuff, my team celebrating or commentators celebrating. I don’t know, but everything.

"So it’s been a lot of fun and I think I also needed to see it and watch it to go through those feelings again, and just see what it meant to me. I almost couldn’t get enough of it. It was very exciting and I’m happy we could do it as a team after the hard year last year.

There were lots of friends and family down in Australia. Then when I came back, I had time to see the other friends and family, who I hadn’t seen for, probably, two and a half, three months. So, that’s why it was nice to have the time after the Australian Open."

You picked up an injury in Australia. How is the leg feeling now? Are you cautious about the things you do away from the tennis courts since your knee surgery last year?

"Not really. I have been always somewhat careful. I don’t need crazy things away from the game for me, having tennis as the base excitement. And then my personal family life is plenty. I don’t need to get some more thrills away from it, to be quite honest.

"I wanted to go skiing last year after the Australian Open. That didn’t work out because of the knee surgery that I had. I definitely won’t ski now until the end of my career. That’s fine.

"I am happy taking the kids to the ski lifts and stuff. That’s the most I could do now. And I have watched them improve.

"Yeah, I have to be careful, I understand that. But then, once I am retired, I am still going to be so young that I can still hopefully do so many more things. It will be fine."

And the injury?

"It’s fine now. I came here on Tuesday and since Wednesday, I have been practising. Let’s say, since Thursday I have been practising all full-out and it’s been going well.

"I am very happy the break, the necessary stuff that I needed to do in terms of just pacing myself through the first few weeks after the Australian Open worked well. I am definitely going to be fine for tomorrow."

How did you celebrate in Australia after your win?

"Well, I did a lot of press and then I did doping test. Then, I got back to the hotel at 2.45pm and then we partied until 6.30am. Just everybody was in such a good mood. You can imagine they have already been partying for three hours, so when I got there, the atmosphere was rather relaxed. But so excited that finally I could join the party.

"And then it kept on going and as it got later and later in the night, I’m like, ‘OK, I have to go to bed, I am just so tired from the emotional roller coaster that everybody went through’. But it gave me enough time to talk to everybody and just have a really nice time.

"And then when I came back [to his hotel room] — I told the story in Australia — my kids were waking up. So it wasn’t just easy like, ‘let’s sneak in and go to bed’. No, it was about actually playing with the kids and showing them the trophy and talking with them again, and being the dad again that I am usually.

"It was surreal — going from winning to partying to like, ‘Hi kids, how are you doing?’ So, it was quite a lot of changes in those 12 hours."

Do you feel this is another test for you this week because you haven’t really played on back-to-back days since Halle maybe?

"Yeah, a little bit unknown. I hope we are going to get into this problem, that I will have to play every day. It means I am winning matches.

"But like I said early on in this season, or at the end of last year, it’s going to take me some time, until probably April, to feel my best because then I would have played best-of-five set matches in Australia, back-to-back matches in Dubai and maybe some in Indians Wells and Miami, and then after Miami, I would really know where I am at.

"So I still feel like maybe it’s still some work in progress for me — just getting to understand how the body is going to react, how much load can the body take. In the mind, I’m fresh again. I think being in the Swiss mountains was really good energy for me again, being with the family there. But yeah, it’s definitely a bit of the unknown. I hope I can play tomorrow, so even if I work to win, I would have a day off. Then Wednesday again, that would be definitely good, rather than having to play almost every day if you didn’t end up getting burnt.

"Look, I know the first round is tough. I don’t see myself as a favourite here in this tournament even though I have a great track record. It all starts from zero here. Yes, I got some confidence in Australia, but I did have a big break. I didn’t like right away go play again. The breaks too big for me to come in and just play like I did in Australia. Conditions are a bit different here — it’s still fast and when it’s fast, the margins are small. So I have to take it one at a time."

It took you five years to win your 18th grand slam. Did you ever get frustrated during those years, or were you like, ‘this is the way it is’?

"It was more like, ‘this is the way it is’. I didn’t have bad years. I won a lot of tournaments. I almost got back to world No1 — don’t remember now what year it was, but before Paris, I had every chance that tournament. If I won Paris and Novak didn’t make the semis, which could have happened, I could have made it back to world No1.

"So it shows that I actually had really good seasons. I remember beating the best in those times. I won the Davis Cup in 2014. So I had good years. Then I had tough years with 2013 and 2016, which almost cancelled themselves out a little bit because of back issues and knee issues.

"It’s just how it was. What I like is when I changed racquets and I tried to reinvent myself, I guess, to some extent. When I had the back issues and changed racquets, I was actually able to come back from 2014 on and play really positive, aggressive tennis. I was able to turn it around for myself. I actually had more fun after that.

"After 2012/2013, I was still trying to win Wimbledon again and I came somewhat close.

"Looking back, that seems like a long time, but I did play good tennis in some stretches. So it wasn’t frustrating maybe like you thought it was."

What does it mean for the sport of tennis that the two Australian Open champions are 35 years old?

"I think it maybe shows that we keep ourselves in good shape. I think that the players like to play for a long time because I am not the only guy who is 35 and still playing. They actually have a bunch of guys who are doing it on the women’s tour also.

"I think there’s more players now playing longer. They are not retiring anymore at 24, 26, like we have seen that happen often. It shows that maybe the tennis world is a good place. You can stay happy and have a life besides the tennis life, which I think is important.

"Maybe on the men’s tour we have seen a bit of a struggle after the Novak and the Murray generation for a really huge group of players to rush through like maybe my generation was and the Rafa generation was. That also definitely hasn’t pushed out enough of the 35 year olds today. That’s definitely also made it easier to hang on potentially. But nevertheless, I think those generations are very, very strong.

"And conditions didn’t change so much in the last 10 years. So that’s why probably it’s also easier just to have perfected that way of playing. I thought there was more changes from 15 to 20 years ago, to then 10 years ago. The last 10 years have been pretty much the same.

What about the technology?

"Yeah, technology. Now everything … the big change for me came in 2002 when I changed strings to the half-and-half. And then you had court speeds slow down. So I feel like the last 10 to 13 years now have been pretty much the same in terms of the technology of the strings, balls, surface — it all seems pretty much the same. It’s easier maybe to just keep on going. I am not sure."

Source: https://www.thenational.ae/sport/tennis/roger-federer-qa-i-hope-tiger-woods-can-get-back-in-the-swing#page1

Great interview, LaRubia, thank a lot for posting it.

 
by LaRubia Today at 9:06 pm
Roger Federer Q&A: But I have seen a million highlights — again and again and again — of the fifth set, of the best shots or best shots of the tournament. I got sent so many compilations of stuff, with music and emotional stuff, my team celebrating or commentators celebrating. I don’t know, but everything.
"So it’s been a lot of fun and I think I also needed to see it and watch it to go through those feelings again, and just see what it meant to me. I almost couldn’t get enough of it."

He's just as bad as the rest of us!!  

But I'm watching the whole tournament again starting with Rubin - who played great!- as the 1R  Meltzer match isn't available on YouTube.

Thanks to you both Doris and Rufus,  for all the good news -

Here is Rene Stauffer interview with Roger in IW (in German, unfortunately): https://mobile2.tagesanzeiger.ch/articles/58c43d05ab5c377630000001
Roger mainly  talks about family (and Australian Open). Google translation helps but not so much... May be someone will translate it later...

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/interviews/roger-federer-18-going-on-19/articleshow/57602141.cms


Roger Federer, 18 going on 19

Roger Federer's bar-raising 18th Grand Slam title was more than record or reiteration. The Swiss master tells TOI in an exclusive interview that the resonance of that victory the world over gave him the greatest satisfaction.

The time he spent away from tennis has done Roger Federer good. You can see it in his superbly toned form, hear it in his voice or even in his silence. That may have been obvious from that awe-inspiring win at the Australian Open, but it's more so the case from up close. Lean and lethal, and in his own words, 'feeling more comfortable and getting better'.

On the sidelines of the Dubai Duty Free tennis championships, the 35-year-old dwelt on a range of subjects - his record 18th Grand Slam title, its significance, whether the number can be surpassed, the year ahead and what it means to play doubles with friend and rival Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup.

Excerpts...

What are your expectations from 2017?

Expectations go up when you play the way I did at the beginning of the year. At the same time, I try not to keep them sky-high, especially not until April. All the way up until Miami, I need to have a work-in-progress perspective. Knowing that I didn't feel well all of last year, that's why every match I get through, injury-free, healthy, wake-up fine the next morning in different continents of the world, is important. That's the goal right now. When we hit the two-thirds of the year mark, I'm going to be 100 percent. That's how I see it. That's with the bonus of having already won the Australian Open.

Was the 18th title a reiteration to yourself?

Look, I mean, yes. It was big on so many levels; I don't think I needed 18 to be happier in life or to feel more complete or anything. It gives me more reason to play tennis. It tells me that it was the right choice that I made years ago, to keep on trying, to get to 18 one more time. It shows that hard work does pay off, that I was on the right path for a very long time and it was the right decision to take a break last year. It gave me the approval for a lot of things I was trying to do, trying to follow, when there was a lot of criticism. Also, by getting to 18, I made a lot of people happy. I felt like there was a big echo around the world, people really felt like 'Rog deserves this one more'. That was also nice.

After winning your 18th major, did retirement, however briefly, cross your mind?

Not really. Because I then go back to, 'why did I take the six months off in the first place?' It was for longevity, that was always the goal for me. I never saw myself play this one tournament, or match, or go for one victory and then tell myself that's it. Who knows? It might still all end that way. But I don't see my retirement that way, I see it's going to be more of a process. I try not to think of the whole retirement situation, because the more I think of it, the more I feel the closer I am to it.

I was so happy at that moment (in Melbourne); the crowd was into it, my people were all so happy that by the time everything was said and done and I was back partying with my team again. We were already talking about what's the next plan - Dubai and then Indian Wells and Miami. So the question or thought didn't really cross my mind, to be completely honest.

Five years to get from No.17 to 18. Were you ever frustrated in that time?

I didn't have bad years. I won a lot of tournaments. I almost got back to world No.1. So it shows that I actually had really good seasons. I remember beating the best in those times. I won the Davis Cup in 2014. So I had good years. Then I had tough years, 2013 and 2016, which almost cancelled themselves out because of back and knee issues. What I like is when I changed racquets and I tried to reinvent myself, to some extent. I was actually able to come back from 2014 and play really positive, aggressive tennis. I was able to turn it around for myself. I actually had more fun after that. After 2012, I was still trying to win Wimbledon again and I came somewhat close. Looking back, that seems like a long time, but I did play good tennis in some stretches. So it wasn't frustrating maybe like you thought it was.

Was it injury that kept you out of the Tour for six months, in the second half of last year, or was it a need for rest and recuperation?

It was an injury. I had a surgery a bit over a year ago now, that didn't really heal because of which I was always having issues with the knee. It was feeling heavy, it would fill up with liquid. When the knee is fighting something, it creates liquid to kind of oil it. Then it feels heavy, doesn't feel right. Over a long period of time, I didn't feel well. That's why doctors told me you should rest now, shouldn't keep playing because that's when things get bad, maybe even really bad. I didn't like the sound of that. That's when I said, for my life, my health, my career, these three reasons, I should take a rest. I thought it was going to be something like three-four months, but my physio, my fitness coach, my doctor all said take six months. Take the proper amount of time, the body needs it, deserves a break. That's what I did finally and I was happy to do it.

Is 19 Grand Slams achievable, even for Roger Federer?

It's possible for somebody to pass it. As we go forward, on the men's and women's sides, players are going to be more and more focused on records. I don't think Pete Sampras was so focused his entire career on records. I don't think Serena (Williams) even when she won her first few Grand Slams or (Martina) Navratilova or go further back Rod Laver even. I don't think they knew in the beginning what they were doing. It just ended up being that way. They set the bar. Now the media and players chase it more than ever. They feel that this is what you have to do to be the best. I feel like there's a big chance of that happening in the future. That's why you're now seeing records being broken more frequently in this day and age. Because that's how you set up your career. For me, Wimbledon, US Open, I'll always have chances as long as I am playing and I am healthy. Those courts suit me there.

 
Looking back, is there anything you remember doing, or thinking as important or crucial to your progress in your early days?


At one point (in your career), it's all about working hard, dedication, motivation and understanding what you do, what you need to do - taking the right decision at the right time. There are a lot of players out there who are going through the motions, not playing with a purpose. They think it's great to be on the Tour. The aim should be to get the most out of yourself, yet still enjoy what you're doing. It's a fine line, it comes with having the right people around you, right practice, partners, amount of practice, not too much or too little. Maybe also take enough breaks. It's also about discovery, finding out what surface you maybe like to play on, learn from your experiences, early and quickly .

Can you talk about the prospect of playing doubles with Rafael Nadal in the Laver Cup later this year?

I would love to play doubles with Rafa. I've faced off against him so often, that I think playing Laver Cup doubles with him is going to be really inspiring and really cool. I'm anyway excited about the Laver Cup, the format is going to be amazing. You're going to have all these great players on the same team, and with Bjorn Borg coaching me and the rest of the European team, it should be so much fun. Just me being on the same side as Rafa, finally - after facing off against him so often, I think it's a relief and joy at the same time. I know what he's capable of and he knows what I am capable of. If we then create that great play at the same time, it could be beautiful. We know doubles is not two great singles players playing together, but you try to be a team in doubles and I think that's where it's going be.

Sorry to be stepping back in time folks, but I thought this French Interview was worth translating (just Google) and posting as it gives some revealing insights.  I'm sure you won't mind  

It's from Le Temps

Roger Federer: «Revenir après ma blessure, ç’a été comme une seconde chance. Je ne voulais pas la gaspiller»




Returning after my injury, it was like a second chance. I did not want to waste it

Laurent Favre
Published Sunday 26 February 2017

A month after his fantastic victory in the final of the Australian Open, Roger Federer is back at the tournament in Dubai, where Le Temps met him. If he is transfigured since the beginning of the year, it is paradoxically because he has accepted not to be the best anymore. "I accept my new role," he said.

The rain on Dubai compels the organizers of the ATP tournament (category 500) to take out the umbrellas and the plan B. A chance, finally, for the press that can enjoy more the presence of Andy Murray, Gaël Monfils and Stan Wawrinka. But it is above all Roger Federer that everyone is watching. The local of the event (he lives in Dubai for a good part of the year, even if he remains domiciled in Switzerland) is back, a month after his surprise victory at the Australian Open.

In the elevator of the Jumeirah Creekside (a five-star of a distressing banality according to local standards), the Bâlois finds "La Monf". Sincere accolade. "Bravo," said the Frenchman who, like almost everyone, has not seen Federer since the Melbourne final. Roger Federer takes us to a small bar reserved for the players. Just before the interview began, his coach Severin Lüthi handed him a sheet to sign. "I do not even know what I sign," Federer said. - "We have just made a pact," says Lüthi, perfect Gai Luron of tennis. Roger Federer bursts out laughing, zips up his jacket, crosses his arms on the table and listens to us as if nobody had asked him any questions today.


- Time: One month later, have you "digested" your victory at the Australian Open?

- Roger Federer: I'm still on my little cloud, and it feels good there. All the people I meet talk to me about it and this prolongs the pleasure. In December, I was here in Dubai training and I had no idea what I was going to be able to do in Melbourne. In my mind, even if I lost in the first round, the tournament was successful because I came back on a court after a serious injury. What happened is a fairy tale.


- Have you watch your final against Rafael Nadal?

- Friends wanted to do a special night to review the game but I said no thanks. I have already seen millions of times the best moments, with music, without music, with live comments in all languages, with reactions of my loved ones, with montages. But the last points, the match point, the words with Rafa after the match: all these images are constantly parading before my eyes.


- Is it a victory that appeases or motivates? [he ask for the meaning of "appease"].

- Yes, the first feeling is really that: relief, total well-being and no ulterior motive. Everything was perfect. I also know that now everything will become easier. Whatever happens, the season is already successful. I will no longer have to answer questions about the style: "Do you think you can still win a Grand Slam tournament?" I respect journalists and I find it normal that they ask the question but when you hear it all the time -  I must be one of the sportsmen who spend the most time with the media - it ends up spreading a form of contagious defeatism. I think I've kept it pretty well, I've never become negative or embittered, but I'm still glad I do not have to hear that any more. Now I accept all the questions about a possible 19th Grand Slam title (laughs).


How did you go through these five years of scarcity?

- I tried to remain objective, and even a little fatalistic. You can plan the conditions for success, but success itself also depends on external factors that you can not control. Sometimes I was not far from victory. And even if I did not win a Grand Slam, I had good years: in 2014, we win the Davis Cup, in 2015 I am not far from recovering the place of world number one. During those five years, I also changed my racquet, evolved my style of play to make it more aggressive and more offensive. To think about all this, find solutions, put them in place; this whole process has been very interesting. It wasn't time lost.


- One thing strikes when we see you play since your return: your joy of being there can be read on your face. Personally, I had only seen you like that during an exhibition tour in Latin America in 2012. Your father explained to me that this face, happy, relaxed, was that of the private Roger, the one that the public does not know. Has this happiness that you now express on the court contributed to your victory?

- When you play all the time, you hunt one tournament after another, you try to manage the games, the press, the program, the trips, the children. Obviously, after a while, you lose some of your inspiration. The break did me good. I was able to breathe, to rest, to reflect. This injury has recalibrated my life. I had to have surgery and the success of this operation did not depend on me. There was a short period when, for the first time, my career was not under my control. Luckily, everything went well and I saw this as a second chance. I did not want to waste it.

What also makes a difference is that I understand my situation better today than two or three years ago. Before, I was struggling to win a Grand Slam, I was trying to get back to the world number one place. Now, I accept to tell myself that it will be very difficult to become Number One again. I can't say that it pleases me, but I accept it. I also accept that in a tournament, the favorites are Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, and no longer me. I am aware of my new role. I think that's also what made Stan strong: he does not pretend to be superior to Djokovic or Murray but he knows that, on any good day, he can beat them all, and he goes on like this, without frustration or loss of energy.


- What happened during these six months of break with your backhand? It has never been so good as against Nadal, which usually was your weak point.

- I think it was the consequence of my change of racket three years ago. In 2014, I moved from an 90-square inch racquet to a larger one of 97  square inch. At first, I was afraid it would affect my strong points. It took me a long time to make full use of it with my backhand. The six-week training block we were able to do in November-December enabled me to overcome this hurdle. Now I play closer to the baseline and I'm more aggressive on the return.


- When did you realize that the playing surface would be very fast in Melbourne?

- The conditions of play had already been accelerated last year but in December, while we were training in Dubai, we received the new balls of the Australian Open 2017. Severin immediately said: It’s going to be mega fast! ". We did not immediately take that as an opportunity, because a faster game also means less time to react and move. It was not a guarantee.


- Do you think that the playing conditions of the four Grand Slam tournaments, which have been standardized over the past ten years, should have more difference again?

-Yes, I am in favor of it. Each surface should have its specificity. An indoor, if there are rallies of twenty strokes, it is no longer an indoor. What is good in tennis is that there are different styles of players, attackers, baseline players, clay specialists, others more at home on grass. A Grand Slam tournament, it's bringing all these people together and see what you get. I love that.


- Do you have a say in this matter?

- A little, but every Grand Slam decides what is good for its tournament.


- You signed until 2020 with the Basel tournament, while in Melbourne, you seemed to take leave of the Australian public ..

- There's nothing incoherent. By committing myself to Basel for three years, and also to Halle, I allow the organizers to have something concrete to sell their tournament to the sponsors, and it also leaves time for the spectators who would like to come to see me especially [In Basel, many Swiss people come from all over the country to "see at least once Federer"]. And for me, it also allows me to plan my schedule properly. But you never know what the future will be like, especially in sports where the risk of injury is real. That's why I answered honestly in Melbourne when I was asked if I would return 'next year. You're never sure ... In case I should not come back, I wanted to acknowledge the public because many intimate things bind me to Australia. But I never had the intention of getting on my horse and riding off into the sunset.”

https://federerfan07.com/2017/03/15/rene-stauffer-2017-bnp-paribas-open-interview/

Rene Stauffer is interviewed about Roger2017

Here we learn a little bit about what Roger has been up to during his time off in Miami.

Roger Federer Shows No Signs of Slowing

Talking with the tennis pro on what he hopes his legacy will be.


By Adriana Brasileiro on March 23, 2017
WWD.com



Roger Federer - Courtesy


While much of the media and sports enthusiasts are obsessively trying to predict when Roger Federer will retire, the tennis god seems to be floating on a cloud of unwavering confidence. In the midst of the Miami Open, he was calm, focused and simply savoring the moment.

Federer, 35, was all smiles and charm during Moët & Chandon’s cocktail party, held in his honor as the company’s global ambassador. Still basking in the glory of his incredible comeback this year, after beating Stan Wawrinka and winning Indian Wells last Sunday (for a fifth time) and the thrilling victory against Rafael Nadal in Australia in January, which crowned him with his 19th  Grand Slam title, Federer was almost childishly innocent when describing his mood ahead of his first Miami Open match since 2014.

“I’m feeling really good,’’ he said, from the 40th floor of the East hotel in Miami. “I love Miami, there is this incredible energy here, with lots of people who want to see me play and who want me to do well.”

The Swiss-born star is also making time for fashion. During his down time away from practice in Miami, Federer has been working on his long-running collaboration with Nike. He picked samples for the U.S. Open 2018 on-court styles, and was in a photo shoot the morning of March 22 for his NikeLab collaboration, in which he is the designer.

“I really enjoy the off-court design work because I can really be creative and think about style,” he said. “For the on-court collections, it’s really all about performance: the clothes are made considering sweat, rain, heat. It’s fun, but I don’t have a whole lot of room to go crazy.”

The public has taken notice: the tennis legend beat Kanye West and Ryan Gosling and was voted the Most Stylish Man of 2016 in GQ’s competition. GQ described him as a “quietly elegant tennis pro’’ and “a guy who opts for subtlety over flash.’’

He is clearly a pro in his style influencer roles, but Federer said he derives the most joy and fulfillment from his work with early childhood education at the Roger Federer Foundation. The Zurich-based organization was founded in 2003 and partners with organizations in southern Africa and in Switzerland that focus on education projects for children living in poverty.

“I personally wanted to do something that would be long lasting and significant. When I started to make money, I was approached by several organizations who wanted me to fund projects. But I wanted to be involved and take responsibility for my work as a philanthropist,” he said. “I always believed in the potential of people and especially kids, and what we do at the foundation, through our partners, is to empower them to work hard and improve their situation.’’

His South African roots (his mother is from Kempton Park, near Johannesburg) exposed him early on to the challenges that children face in some of the poorest countries in the world. “Education is something that nobody can take away from you,” he said.

As much as Federer seems uninterested in speculation about an exit strategy from tennis, he said he often thinks about his legacy. “I want to be good for the game, for as long as I can. When I stop playing I will probably be involved somehow,” he said. “In what form, I don’t know.”

A long interview with Roger for TeleZüri was posted on Monday. I tried to translate it and I really hope that I heard everything correctly though you never know with Swiss German...  
Now I'm not quite sure if this is the right place to post it but in case it isn't, feel free to move it.


https://www.telezueri.ch/86-show-talktaeglich/15487-episode-exklusiv-roger-federer-im-talktaeglich/37084-segment-exklusiv-roger-federer-im-talktaeglich


Q: His immense sports success brings him also obligations. Roger Federer supports with his foundation disadvantaged children in Africa and in Switzerland. They should receive good education which should serve as a basis of their lives. Welcome to Talk Täglich from wonderful Valbella today on Sunday. Next Monday will be a magic evening in Zurich Hallestadion. Rodger Federer the winner from Melbourne will play the world number one Andy Murray in the Match for Africa. It is sports highlight but also a very important charity event for Roger’s foundation. Roger Federer, welcome, I’m happy that you are here. Roger, you have everything – gigantic success, happy life, a family and wealth. When God distributed everything you must have had a pole position.

RF: Not so extreme (laughs)

Q: I have the feeling – in the starting grid. Do you have sometimes deep down a bit of bad conscience? So privileged?  

RF:  No, but conscience not because I have worked hard for that but I know that's also what all the people in this world do. I am lucky that tennis pays so well and makes you popular, that being a tennis player makes it possible to help other people like for example through my foundation or just to make people happy when you win. Sometimes you lose and make happy the ones who support the opponent.

Q: Not in your case.

RF: It happens. It’s not possible to have two winners. But surely the life that I have is very privileged. It took me time and efforts to get used to my new status but with age and time you start seeing it in a more relaxed manner. I try to live a normal life as well as I can. I don’t really have bad conscience but the life that I have is surely special.

Q: But the viewers would say “He plays in stadiums around the world, he goes around the world. That’s like a closed world of its own. Does Roger Federer know what happens in the world? Speaking about the foundation, how does he know that there are people who live in poverty and misery? How do you get your information?

RF: Yes, we surely live in a special world. That’s what I preach to my children all the time, that they know how lucky they are and that what we do is not so normal. A big part of my life is investment in the sense that I can move quickly from one place to another so that I have more time for preparation; that I can sleep in a good and safe hotel so that we have more space and don’t sleep all together because then I’m tired on the next day and lose the match. So when I spend a lot of money I see it as an investment. I also try to keep up with the news in the world as well as I can. As for the foundation, we have meetings regularly in which I am extremely interested or also trips to South Africa. I’m always there when I can do something for a good cause. Time is a problem but therefore I’m looking forward to the time after my tennis career is over because then I can do much more fundraising, dinners and trips.

Q: So when your career is over, maybe in 10 years or who knows when, then you want to dedicate yourself very strongly to charity.          
 
RF: Yes absolutely. I think that this is very important and nice. It makes me feel better because I have the feeling that thanks to my popularity I can inspire and motivate more people. I can also generate lots of money. It is very easy right now. You make a Match for Africa and “tsack” – all the tickets are sold out. We practically make 2 million at one go. That’s unbelievable because with so much money you can achieve incredibly a lot for such purpose in a certain place. That’s why this is something that makes me very happy. I know that afterwards, when everything has faded a bit, it will be more difficult to generate so much money, but then you have to work a bit harder which I do with pleasure.

Q: Your foundation motto, which originates from you, is “I believe in people’s power and ability.” This sounds very determined but most of all also very positive. This means that you believe that people who are not so fortunate in life can progress on their own initiative and through their ability.

RF: I think that in the end it’s always like that. One should want it himself to go forward if one wants to achieve something. If the whole time others tell you “do this, it will get better, practice a bit harder” but if you don’t want it yourself, you won’t go far in life. It doesn’t matter if it’s in sports or in anything else in life. I think that it is quite similar with poverty. People should want to help themselves. That’s why it is very important for me that the foundation doesn’t support only children so that they are able to go to school but also that the quality is high, that we also support the parents, the teachers. The whole concept should be right because otherwise if we go in different directions it will become difficult.  

Q: This means that you take also things from life. When you were 14, you went to a tennis camp. It was a sort of a Welschlandjahr but in tennis. (Welschlandjahr is called the stay of German –speaking Swiss youngsters in the French part of the country, after they have finished school). A 14-year old in puberty, when you were still developing, you learned to rely on yourself and this is your message.

RF: It was certainly my message. I also had to fight my way through and I also had to make sacrifices even though I was lucky that I made the decision and it wasn’t made by my parents or anyone else. I was the one who said that I would love to go to Ecublens near Lausanne. I went there and I thought what kind of a decision was this? I am in a place where I don’t speak a single word French and don’t have any friends.

Q: You called home and said “I’m coming back tomorrow.”

RF: It was like that indeed. I was so homesick that it was unbelievable. It tore me apart. I was so happy when I took the train to go home on Friday afternoon and on Sunday when I had to go back the drama used to start: “I don’t want to go!” It continued like this in the first 6 to 9 months. But in the end I think that this was the best life school for me in the sense that sometimes you need to fight through. Then you look back and say “Hey, I was fortunate to get this experience so early and I was fortunate that I prevailed.” And I think that this message is valid for other people as well.

Q: Did you, 13-14-year old, hear what Roger said - to battle through a Welschlandjahr.

RF: It was two years. (laughs)

Q: Even 2 years! Ui, ui, ui! You said beforehand that you make trips and check how things are on site. We have a reporter in Malawi right now who has visited one of the projects. In South Africa where the projects are, do you have any kind of an encounter that always comes back as a memory or a picture?

RF: For example when I went to Ethiopia some years ago someone asked me how old are you and I said what do you think and he said 50 and I was like “WOW… OK” (laughs) It was completely wrong but I don’t know how many white people they had seen either because we were so far away from the big cities that you don’t see many people around. Maybe it was very difficult for them. Then I was in Malawi also a couple of years ago. I cooked with them; we made porridge together in a giant pot. You must fill 100 plates for all the children. Then no one was allowed to eat before we had prayed and we waited for each other. It was very loud, then all of a sudden it became quiet for the prayer and then I looked and thought “Ai, ai, ai, at home you must say sometimes please sit down. Now wait a bit please.” Everything is so difficult sometimes and there it was point-blank. I liked the respect to the prayer and the respect to the fellow human being, the fact that they waiter for each other. It was a nice and emotional moment for me.

Q: The kids at the lunch table should be told to take example from the Malawi kids.

RF: For example, yes, because there are some basic rules that are applied there mostly because the kids are so many. I know that in our world things are sometimes a bit different but for me these trips are very valuable, inspiring and motivating. You come back and everything you want to do is to make even more charity, to generate more money so that you can help more children. This is the main reason that I make these trips. I don’t know how many people from them know me but this is actually secondary. I also try to spend a day or two without any press. But of course many donators want to see pictures and how it was. When I am there, I can make a big outreach to a lot of people. But I like it the most when I can talk and play with the children, meet the parents and the teachers; see how they feel and what is not good because there’s always something that’s not good, that’s clear. This is maybe the best way to make progress.

Q: What a contrast it is to the other world and to the tennis world when you stand there with the trophy full of joy and emotions! In this respect, you’ve said “Other people’s joy is almost more important than mine.” And when you make such trips like the one in Malawi, it touches you very deeply.

RF: Very deep indeed. Of course, I am incredibly happy and proud when I win a Grand Slam or a tournament and see that my whole team is happy, that many fans are happy and this touches me deeply as well. But the foundation is something that means a lot to me. I started with it when I had my first break trough on the tour. My mother is from South Africa and she often took me to this country when I had holidays so I could get to know it. It’s very nice that today I can be in this privileged position. I never thought that I’d have such success in life. It’s nice that I could combine everything – charity, family, playing tennis, everything simultaneously. It’s wonderful.  
 
Q: Your foundation has projects mainly in South Africa but it supports also children and education in Switzerland. Why is it important for you to do this also at home?

RF: Yes, absolutely! It is important for me that we do something in Switzerland too. I will always be in Switzerland. That’s my opinion even though one doesn’t know where one will be in 20 or 50 years. My kids will go to school here, they will grow up here, my whole friends circle is here so it’s normal that we come back here. We support integration. There are young people also here who are not doing so well and struggle. So you have to find the right project, the right people behind it, the right foundations and I think that we really found again super partners and stay firmly behind. Each year we invest a couple of millions in Switzerland.    

Q: The Neu Zurich Zeitung wrote about you, Roger…

RF: Oh, attention! 20 pages… (smiles)

Q: … Mr. Perfect!

RF: Oh God!

Q: During long nights, I was looking in the archive if there was a scandal related to Roger Federer: a fight in the locker room, drinking a glass too much or running a riot at least once. No! Not a single scratch in this high-gloss polish! Don’t you want to get carried away for once?

RF: (laughs) I do let it all hang out sometimes. However, I just do it with my family or my best friends whom I can trust that it won’t go out but I’m never so bad. But I like making a party from time to time or I drink a glass too much sometimes, absolutely. I’m very relaxed about this stuff. I think that this just belongs to life now and then.    

Q: Andy Roddick said about you “I’d love to hate him but he is such a nice guy.” Is this maybe also Roger Federer’s strategy? To conquer with charm?

RF: No, not at all. I just try to be myself, try to be open in my own way. I think that the respect to each other is a given for me. I have the feeling that I always know when I must control myself or when it goes too far. I don’t want to put my friends or family in unpleasant situation. I am not a person who goes looking for such things. I am just happy when everything is a bit more peaceful because we have enough times when a lot is going on. But I love being surrounded by people; I don’t like being alone which is a bit of a weakness of mine. But no, I also do a lot of things but nothing that could be scandal-worthy. Therefore I might be a bit boring for certain media but it’s good like this.  

Q: But it is a phenomenon. Not only a sports phenomenon but also in the sense that in Switzerland rules the principle of envy. When a blade of grass is a bit higher then you know that it will be cut on the next day. This principle doesn’t apply to you. Nobody begrudges you. How can you explain this?

RF: We don’t know if it is exactly like that.

Q: Everybody’s darling, a hero, a saint of the nation. Wilhelm Tell would turn in his grave. There’s another one there. That’s Roger Federer.

RF: No, no, it’s not like this. Of course I am happy that I am accepted so well by the people, that I’m so popular. But I think that people also understand that I try to live a totally normal life. I have the feeling also that people are happy that I have never forgotten my roots, where I come from, that I am very grateful to Switzerland. I have also been everywhere in Switzerland. I have lived in Basel, Ecublens, Biel, Schwyz, in the mountains… everywhere. And who knows where else I’ll live in the future, I don’t know it either. But I’ve been welcome in every corner of Switzerland. Thanks to the many languages that I speak and also thanks to the media that I must do or have done people got to know me. It’s not like I have the microphone in front of me just now and then but even quite often. This has given me the opportunity to show to people who I am and for what I stand and the fact that it is apparently received well makes me happy, of course.

Q: I must ask you this question. My colleague said that I should ask you at all cost. It doesn’t have much to do with sports. You won a prize for the most stylish man not in Valbella but in the world! Now I must ask you who buys you your clothes: Mirka, you or you receive each week at least a dozen of packets from all the world brands?

RF: No, I don’t live in Hollywood or London but rather in peaceful places. You don’t get everything shipped there.

Q: I mean the blazer, the turtle-neck pullover…

RF: I can go shopping myself but Mirka does too because she knows my sizes which is super. The GQ Most Stylish Man of the Year prize was rather embarrassing but it was the only one that I won last year. I didn’t win any tournament. Therefore it was last year’s highlight and we talk about it so much today. That’s why I thought, today I’ll put on a normal black pullover that won’t look over the top.

Q: So I put on a suit and a handkerchief and he comes wearing a pullover.

RF: Very disappointing even! (laughs)

Q: Do your daughters say sometimes anything about the way their father is dressed?

RF: It is funny. They see me extremely often wearing tennis tracksuits or tennis outfits because OK now I go again to the gym or I go again to the tennis club. They see me like this all the time and sometimes when we go out for a dinner or I put on a suit and a tie they look at me and say “Oh, that’s a different person! You are very well-dressed!” So I get this comment now and then.

Q: We started our conversation with your foundation and could close it with your children. You said that values are very central in your life. Which values would you like to pass to your children the most? What is your dearest wish?  

RF: That they are kind human beings. That they respect everybody and that they know that there are many other children and people in this world who are not doing so well. We often chat about poverty when we travel but I want to teach them early enough what else there is. They have heard a lot already but I want that they also see it with their own eyes. And I want them to know what the most important is in life: family, friends and respect and tolerance. But I think that we are on the right path. They are really sweet, lovely children. There is still a lot of work every day and every hour but I don’t mind it because it has been our dearest wish with Mirka to have children and a big family. We have it today and that’s why we can’t be any happier.  

Q: Finally, I have the following task for you: I say the first part of a sentence and you finish it. This can’t be bought with money in this world…

RF: Health to certain degree.

Q: If I were a football player instead of a tennis pro, I would be today…  

RF: I wouldn’t play anymore and probably work somewhere. (laughs)

Q: If the US president Donald Trump asked me for a tennis lesson, I’d tell him…

RF: That I don’t have any time right now. (laughs)

Q: Good, the American embassy doesn’t watch right now. As a tennis star, I want to achieve…

RF: I think that with my win in Australia a huge wish of mine was fulfilled. I was ready to wait for years, if I knew that I could win a grand slam again. The ranking is secondary today. I know that it will be very difficult to reach the top again. But… Wimbledon preferably, one more time.  
 
Q: Hopefully! That would be brilliant! And finally we’ll talk a bit about dialect. If I were invited in the stands of a Zurich football club, I would…

RF: (I don’t understand the first part of his answer) … No problem.

Q: Honestly?

RF: Yes, yes. (laughs)

Q: Thank you very much, Roger Federer. We didn’t talk about retirement very deliberately because when I was preparing this programme I came across the Australian Ken Roswell who played the Wimbledon final at 39 and won his last grand slam at 37 so you’ve got plenty of time.