General Interviews 2017-2018

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.

First of all, let me say, vrazkar, that this is a humongous amount of work! And very well written as well.
Clap, clap and thank you very much. You are the Queen of translations!

It is an interesting interview, touching on a lot a varied subjects. I really enjoyed it.
If you want, you could put a copy in the RF Foundation thread (in Off-court News), as quite a bit of the interview relates to that.

Thanks again!

Thanks for the nice feedback, Cromar! While I was reading the discussion about Roger's foundation I thought about this interview and that it could answer some of the questions that were raised there but I wasn't ready with the translation and didn't want to post it yet. When you moved the discussion, I didn't know whether to post it here or in the RF Foundation thread. I'll follow your suggestion and copy it there as well.

Clap, clap Maria, thank you so much. This was such a good read.
Wimbledon beckons.....one more time..... it almost hurts.

Are you coming this year?

Maria! What a wonderful way of taking my breakfast, reading this interview you so kindly translated to us. THANK YOU!!!!!!

Thanks from me too! Wonderful interview!

A phone interview with Roger - quite general, but triggered as promotion for Match for Africa 4.

http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/other-sports/roger-federer-looking-forward-to-exhibition-match-in-seattle/


Title:  Roger Federer looking forward to exhibition match in Seattle
Author/interviewer:  Matt Calkins

^^^
Thanks, Rufus1. I always love reading Roger's words.

I'm looking forward to the match for Africa, it's only an exho but I miss seeing Roger on court and after all one can only watch replays of the AO,IW and Miami finals so many times

Simon Haring interview translated
http://www.watson.ch/Sport/Interview/274057573-Roger-Federer--%C2%ABEs-ist-mir-ein-R%C3%A4tsel--woher-dieses-Mister-Perfect-Image-kommt%C2%BB

Roger Federer: "It is a mystery to me where this Mister-Perfect-Image comes from"

On Monday, Roger Federer finally shows his skills again in Switzerland. In the "Match for Africa 3" he duels with the world number 1 Andy Murray in the Zurich Hallenstadion. We met the "Maestro" before the interview.

Roger Federer, when you were at the World Ski Championships in St. Moritz, even medal winners like Tina Weirather or Michelle Gisin were like little children . Is this sometimes unpleasant to you?
Roger Federer: That was incredible (laughs). They said to me, "You are my idol. I was already embarrassed. But I can understand it. If I had the chance to spend time with Stefan Edberg or Boris Becker, I would probably have gone as well. I've also seen it from time to time in tennis that I've played against people who have me as a role model. For example, Mischa Zverev in Australia .


What is your impression of the skiers?
That's all eerily sympathetic types. I always enjoy it when I can look at how other athletes work. For example, in Formula 1 . I am interested in who wins and who loses and how the drivers feel.

They are considered to be MisterPerfect: Is there something in which you are not perfect?
Yes, of course, there are many things I can not make perfect or not at all. Also I have my quirks and my problems. It is not possible at all times to make everything right at all times. That's why I do not like this Mister-Perfect-Image, because I can only disappoint people. It is also a mystery to me where this reputation comes from.

What do you do about it?
I try to give myself loose and natural. I believe this is a good thing for people because they realize: No matter how many sponsors I have, how much success I had, how many well-known personalities I was able to get to know and no matter in which city I am moving: I always stay myself. I know where my roots are. I know who my friends and family are. I always try to get back to it. Now and then I can experience incredible things, clearly. But that does not really matter to the important things in my life. I think people know I see it that way.

For more than 13 years, they have worked with their foundation in Africa for the early education of children. What was the trigger?
In setting up the foundation, we deliberately defined the purpose very broadly. I've been thinking about what I want to do: Will I build a village? Or school houses? Do I want to do something about diseases? I was asked again and again whether I wanted to become an ambassador. In 2006, for example, I was a Unicef ​​ambassador. And with Adolf Ogi, I was allowed to start the Year of Sports at the UN under the then General Secretary Kofi Annan.

video insert: Cooking for more than 100 children - Roger Federer was especially fascinated at this "beautiful moment" how disciplined and respectful the children have behaved.

They then decided on educational projects for children in Africa. Why?
I remember well my first visit to Port Elizabeth in South Africa . There I saw a project that supports aids children with AIDS. On the other hand, the aim was to provide them with access to education. Knowing that these children did not really have a chance was for me an emotional moment that was very close to me. That's why I decided to work on education. I am glad I have chosen this way.

Was it always clear to you that you want to build your own foundation?
I only realized later on what a great step it was to lead a foundation of its own and not to support another. That would have been easier, clear. But I told myself that I like to do it myself. Then you can implement your own ideas that you have, and you can follow exactly what you are doing or not. For me this was good education for children. Because I think: What they learn remains for life. This opens doors for the children. This thought has burned on me.

They were already in South Africa, Ethiopia and Malawi. How important is it for you to be there on your own?
Very important. Because in addition to my contribution, many other people give money to the Foundation and trust me. Almost all sponsors also support the Roger Federer Foundation. These people should be able to make sure their donation arrives. For me too, it is important to understand our programs better, to see what and how much we do. Contact with local people is very important to me.

How do the children in Africa approach you?
For them, I am just someone who wants to help them. I feel that they do not know how famous I am. That's OK for me! It does not matter how good you play tennis. It is important that they get help. They show themselves extremely grateful, although I am not looking for them at all. It makes me happy to see that they are doing better and that I can give the children better chances. I'm glad if they do not know me as a famous tennis player. That is why I like to travel around the world without the media, to feel the people and to spend time alone with the children.

Instead, you always get a big reception ...
There are always two parts to my visits: I take a lot of time to experience the children without media and viewers in their everyday life. I can then play with the children. This is the most beautiful thing for me. Even if I see that one helps each other: the mothers, the teachers. That more and more children receive education. That they get a healthy meal, the parents believe that the school is an important thing. But then it must also be celebrated. This is the official part, which is very important for the local partners as well as for the population. There the media can also come gladly. This also helps us to promote education.

What encounters did you remember?
When I was in Malawi, the children were driving through my hair. They were totally fond of my hair, they were swept in it. Their hair is quite different and they have never touched the hair of a white man. I found this fascinating and incredible. A nice moment was also when I cooked in a huge cooking pot for over 100 children and one after the other its portion. Then you think: Start eating as long as it is still warm. Instead, all have been waiting. Then was prayed and still eaten. From one moment to the next, it becomes muxmäuschenstill. This respect towards the other children, to the teachers and to the food, impressed me deeply. Seeing this was very emotional to me.

What are your children's values?
That family and friends are the most important. Health . Respect. Tolerance. This is enormously important to me. I also tell my children. Always be nice. Always be polite. I'm trying to go through life. Whether someone is a superstar or not, it does not matter to me. Sure, when a famous person has achieved something incredible, he is very interesting and probably has an incredibly inspiring and motivating story to tell and is an example. But another person who is not known may also have an incredible story to tell. That's why I try to go through life with decency and respect. To look into one 's eyes. Grüezi and Merci.

How do you deal with the contrast between poverty and misery in Africa to live in Switzerland to where we have everything to abound?
Sometimes it is just luck or bad luck where you grew up. I am very aware of this, I know what it is about and how much happiness I have had in my life. I try to explain to myself and my children time and time again that what we are allowed to experience is very extraordinary. I know I live in a fabulous world. We are constantly flying from one place to another. Since it is important for me: Where do I fly over there? I see these countries and I wish to see how it is there. That is why the visits to Africa are very important to me.

In Melbourne, you said, "It's like music . You play not only for yourself. "Are you playing more than ever for Africa and your foundation?
Absolutely. It will never be so easy to raise money for the foundation as now at this stage of my career. I am aware of this and try to generate as much money as possible with the «Match for Africa». But I also do not want to lose focus on my own career. There, too, I have goals. Later on, however, I will have much more time to get even more involved. I am looking forward. We are also gearing up everything in such a way that the foundation has a long-term success. This is motivating for everyone.

The Federer Foundation: A Family Affair
In addition to Federer, who serves as President of the Board of Trustees, he and his wife Mirka , mother Lynette and father Robert have three other family members. The Vice President is Christoph Schmocker , Federer's manager Tony Godsick is also a member of the Board of Trustees. At the end of 2016, Susanna Leemann joined the group . The managing director is Janine Händel . It is supported by York Lunau and Ina Mozhendi and Elson Mkhoma , two so-called Regional Representatives, who work in Johannesburg, South Africa.

They have been playing for almost two decades. What is your success?
You have to like it. Otherwise the energy fizzles. You have to make it casual, even the whole training set-up. With whom do you train? How do you shape your environment? Where do you train The journeys, the autograms, the photos and the recognized - all this you must not feel as troublesome. I think that is important.

Do you still enjoy this after all these years?
I have also experienced a period when I felt burnt out. Where I said that I take photos for less, give less autograms and go other ways than normal, or work somewhere else. Because I realize that when I'm so far, I'm tired of the matches. Then I felt fresh again and never had a problem after that. In general you just have to play matches. Gladly win and do not like to lose. This passion must be. I find this fire and ice enormously important. I am proud of what I have achieved without living too much in the past. You're always just as good as your last match. So you can drive yourself. An absolute goal is eminently important. Short term and long term. If you have no goals and dreams, it makes no sense.

What are your goals and dreams for Africa?
We were already able to invest 28.5 million Swiss francs in programs in Africa and Switzerland, supporting 650,000 children. By 2018 it should be one million children. This will cost around 40 million francs. So we have a good way ahead of us, which is why the "Match for Africa" ​​is an important source of income.

Actually, the Match for Africa should already have taken place in November.
Yes, but now it's almost even better. It's a dream scenario: I've won in Australia and Andy Murray is the world's number one.

Do you have a vision for Africa?
This is difficult to answer. Africa is a huge continent with a tremendous potential. In Malawi, for example, 40 percent of the children now visit a kindergarten. This is great on the one hand, because it did not exist a few years ago. On the other hand, of course, it is far too little. The goal should be that all children visit kindergarten. My great wish with my foundation and for Africa is that the education from the kindergarten to the university is a top priority.

Thanks Doris for your efforts and time to translate so much stuff and so quickly! I find it hard to catch up with you!

Here's a translation of the interview that Roger gave in Lenzerheide last week.

http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/sport/tennis/siege-oder-niederlagen-bestimmen-nicht-wann-ich-aufhoere/story/31053387

My retirement doesn’t need to be sugary.
 
Roger Federer is overwhelmed by the enthusiasm that his comeback caused. Sometimes, he wishes it would be less.

It is a sunny Maundy Thursday in Lenzerheide, 15 degrees, green slopes, the promenade is almost dead. Roger Federer has retreated with his family to his house for a few days before he leaves again for a fitness training in Dubai. Just because he has the momentum, he offered spontaneously to some journalists a meeting in the mountains, in order to promote the tournament in Stuttgart. A small group of reporters from Switzerland, Germany and Austria has found its way to a conference room at the Hotel Schweizerhof, when he floats into the room at 2 pm - on cloud 7.

After a 30 minutes talk around the round table, Edwin Weindorfer, the Tournament Director of the Mercedes Cup, wants to interrupt the discussion pointing out that this was the time frame arranged with Federer's manager. But the player from Basel reassures: “Tony (Godsick) is in the plane right now and doesn’t care. We could continue a bit longer." To the objection that after that there will be also a video shoot for the tournament, he says that it won’t make him suffer . The conversation about Federer’s amazing story in the recent months which once again catapulted him into the highest spheres lasts almost 50 minutes.

Q: Comeback stories like yours exert a special fascination on people.

RF: (Interrupts) I also noticed that. I wasn’t aware that it would be to such extent.

Q: Do you have the feeling that as a consequence your popularity has again reached a new record?

RF: Probably, yes. I have the feeling that many people can identify with me better, than when I dominated. If one always wins and everything goes well, it's almost surreal. For many people it is difficult to comprehend. Because sometimes one just doesn’t feel so well. You are sad before you go to bed. But the next day, the next chance comes. Maybe one is not doing so well yet. But at some point it comes again, if one works hard on himself. Maybe after a day, maybe after a few years. Thanks to my comeback, people understand me probably better today than ever before. They feel: I was also there.

Q: Can you take us once again back to that moment? What was the hardest part?

RF: There were many bad moments. When I had to go under the knife in February (2016, arthroscopy on his left knee), I didn't know how I would wake up. I could hardly move my foot and I thought: oh God! I was very sad and doubtful whether good times would ever come again. Then I came back quickly on the tour and the leg started cooperating rapidly again. But then I got into a difficult period because I felt that I couldn’t trust my body anymore. It did what it wanted. It got worse and worse, because I had to push more and more, since Wimbledon was the big goal. I had fluid in the knee time and again. Then my back added to it. I wasn’t so explosive anymore because I could hardly practice. I felt that pretty sure I wouldn’t win Wimbledon. Nevertheless, I tried. It is very difficult for a top athlete to participate knowing that he won’t make it.

Q: And now after the Australian Open title you are again the hailed winner. What has surprised you the most in the last months?

RF: Practically everything. That the body endured everything. That I was always mentally at my best, match after match. That I could obtain this consistency day after day. That I found immediately a good balance in Australia. I was calm during the games and had confidence, even though I hadn’t played for so long before that. Maybe because I was just so, so very happy to stand on the court again. For sure the great fortune for me was that I didn’t have to have surgery on my knee again.

Q: When was this decision made?

RF: After Wimbledon, the doctor told me that I just had to let my knee rest properly. It deserved it. So that's what I did. Of course, it wasn’t easy to leave out all these tournaments. Nevertheless, I was very positive. And I think that many people felt that it was not insincere. This is just my way. I hope that I was able to show that difficult times pose huge opportunities. That you can reinvent yourself. Probably that’s why my popularity is so big right now. I hope that it won’t always be like that.

Q: Excuse me?

RF: I thought that I would make happy a lot of people with my victory (in Melbourne). But not to this extent. Comebacks are usually very emotional. This is no different with me. Yesterday, I watched again 20 minutes from the fifth set of the Australian Open final, because a friend had sent me the video. I had goose bumps again.

Q: How does looking back at your excellent start of the season feel from the Lenzerheide?

RF: It was wonderful to come here after Australia. I actually had time to relax and enjoy it here. I had to also because of my leg. Otherwise, it has often been the case after big victories to have appointments or play a tournament. I had just short holidays after Miami and am leaving for Dubai soon. I want to stay in rhythm and don’t want to drop my level too much like I did after Australia. But the times are now wonderful with all the victories. I enjoy it, if not at the tennis, then with the family. And it's nice and quiet in the mountains. There are hardly any people here because of the nice weather.

Q: Why do you actually live in the Lenzerheide region?

RF: I'm actually a person who prefers going to the sea rather than in the mountains. I get cold quickly, especially my hands and feet. I did love to go skiing but we have a long way to the Swiss mountains from Basel. I don’t know any good skier from Basel. As a child, I was often in the heat in South Africa. But we used to come with friends more often here during the holidays and then I heard that a piece of land was being sold. I looked at it; it was beautiful. Then we were lucky to be able to buy it. There was a house there but we didn’t want to demolish it because of the person who had sold it to me. One day he called me and said that for him it was okay if we wanted to build anything else. I had always wanted to have a place to retreat for me and my family. And for my friends. I thought that having a chalet in Switzerland is like a dream. So we landed here and started building. Today, I pay my taxes and love it here.


Q: You are considered an impeccable athlete and a perfect gentleman; you are a quadruple father and a great role model. Isn’t it sometimes a burden to meet all the expectations?

RF: Not a burden. Fortunately, I can be myself. The image is also distorted. Everyone thinks that because I've had success, everything is wonderful with me. But I also have my quirks. I am also constantly working on myself or trying to improve whether it is organizationally, as a father or as a tennis player. I also have “construction sites” everywhere. But my image has reached such a dimension that I can’t fight against it anymore at all. Luckily, I give many interviews where I can show my real self so that people feel that this is not Mister Perfect but rather someone who is totally normal. It's fine that I have such a nice image. But in the first place for me it is all about the sport. And how I am off the court and as a father or a husband, whether good or bad, none of you knows. But we have it good at home. (grins)

Q: What is your biggest “construction site”?

RF: The construction sites come and go. Fortunately, none is too big. But the organization is certainly immense. You cannot imagine how many things are going on with us behind the scenes. One doesn’t have the slightest idea.

Q: What role do you have in raising your children?

RF: Mirka and I are both about the same in terms of being strict or relaxed. I don’t have the feeling that I am the one who always has to exercise his authority. Or vice versa. We have found a good balance and help each other. When one of us feels that the other one is tired, he takes the part of telling the children who calls the tune. This strains one’s nerves. It might happen that I have to do this before an important match. But before the Australian Open final or similar games Mirka knows that it is better when everybody leaves the room.

Q: If you win Wimbledon this year, could you imagine ending your career on a high note?

RF: I have never thought about that. That would have to come from the moment. I've also planned far beyond Wimbledon. Right now, I plan the beginning of 2018. I don't think that victories or defeats determine when I retire. It is rather the head and the body.

Q: But there wouldn’t be a better moment to retire, right?

RF: Absolutely. But it's not my goal to retire at the absolute peak like others have done. I love to play tennis for life. And I’ll play as long as I am successful, I enjoy it, my family and my team enjoys it. That's how it works. My retirement doesn’t need to be sugary.



Federer's mind games

With hard court tennis to the victory in Paris?

Roger Federer attracted attention after his victory in the Miami final by announcing that he wouldn’t play any tournaments until the French Open. In the meantime he even thinks about skipping the Grand Slam in Paris. His next step for the time being is having a fitness build-up with his fitness trainer Pierre Paganini in Dubai. The Federers will already celebrate Easter in the desert state. Up to the match for Africa 4 in Seattle (29 April), he is unlikely to hold the racket very often.

As for Roland Garros, he says: “I will decide after my whole build-up on May 10. Then we’ll sit down all together and discuss the question: shall we move to sand now? Or rather not? Until then I’ll practice on hard court.” Federer makes it clear: "To play just for the participation - I won’t do that anymore. Thus there are no miracles. I must be ready and really want it."

«Almost faster than Wimbledon.»

However, the 35-year-old hasn’t accepted the idea of skipping the French Open yet, which he already missed in 2016. He’s been thinking how he could be successful there without a preparation tournament: “Maybe I could play my offensive hard court tennis also on clay. This is absolutely possible. If there is nice weather at the French Open, the conditions are very fast. Almost faster than they are at Wimbledon. And if I show this aggressive tennis already on clay, it would also be a good preparation for the grass season.” He won Roland Garros in 2009 with offensive tennis.

However, it is clear that his focus is on Wimbledon. And he can get in shape on grass at Stuttgart and Halle. The extension of the grass season is one of the reasons why Federer plays less on clay: "I had to decide when my build-up would takes place. The time after Wimbledon is too short, because the calendar has changed.” Just three weeks after the final in London is the real start of the US hard court season with the masters 1000 tournament in Montreal. A fitter Federer will have enough opportunities to play tennis.

Thank you vrazkar. We are so spoilt with our multilingual forum members.

Q: You are considered an impeccable athlete and a perfect gentleman; you are a quadruple father and a great role model. Isn’t it sometimes a burden to meet all the expectations?

RF: Not a burden. Fortunately, I can be myself. The image is also distorted. Everyone thinks that because I've had success, everything is wonderful with me. But I also have my quirks. I am also constantly working on myself or trying to improve whether it is organizationally, as a father or as a tennis player. I also have “construction sites” everywhere. But my image has reached such a dimension that I can’t fight against it anymore at all. Luckily, I give many interviews where I can show my real self so that people feel that this is not Mister Perfect but rather someone who is totally normal. It's fine that I have such a nice image. But in the first place for me it is all about the sport. And how I am off the court and as a father or a husband, whether good or bad, none of you knows. But we have it good at home. (grins)

How interesting is that? Roger always tries to be as authentic as possible.

Obviously this interview was done a while back, but no indication of the date... Roger has since stated that he will make his final decision about RG on May 10.

Federer: French Open decision 'in 4 to 5 weeks'

18-time grand slam winner Roger Federer has had an amazing 2017 so far, but he says that his decision to play Roland Garros is still "4 to 5 weeks away. "Source: CNN

Interview with CNN OpenCourt

Thanks to our translators - lovely work. The bit about Wimby and how tough it was for him brought a lump to the throat again.

But what is stopps? where Higueras told him to do more of them. I'm assuming drop-shots?

It's a long wait if he doesn't do RG but I'm glad he's not going in for the 'just to be there'

Audio of an interview for KOMO News Seattle... First part is about M4A 4 and the Foundation  then more general questions about the rest of the season, goals, expectations and so on... Roger says there's a good chance he'll play the French Open - having spent  € 600 on tickets, very selfishly I really REALLY hope he'll play  

https://clyp.it/search?type=hashtag&query=match4africa

Another phone interview in advance of the Match for Africa 4, this time for Seattle Refined (It shows in the nature of the questions!!)

http://seattlerefined.com/lifestyle/5-things-you-may-not-have-known-about-roger-federer

Author/interviewer:  Britt Thorson
Title:  5 things we just learned about Roger Federer