General Interviews 2017-2018

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

Nice interview with Roger by Darius Rochebin from the Swiss TV RTS, if you understand French!  

An interesting clip at 6:40 of young Roger in 1998, age 17, when he turned Pro, after having won the Boy's singles Wimbledon championship, and played his first professional match (in Gstaad) .

The full interview of Roger Federer: the future, the journey, Nadal the "best enemy", Mirka and the family who have counted so much, the audacity that increases with the years and his role as an absolute Swiss icon.

First part of an interview done in late April... Ironically at the end  Roger asks the reporter whether he'll see him in Paris... Yup I  haven't quite  got over that one yet

TRIALS AND TEARS, DOUBTS AND CHANGE – THE ROGER FEDERER INTERVIEW, PART ONE



When Inside Tennis went to Seattle in late April to interview Roger Federer prior to his Match for Africa 4 fundraiser for his charity, we showed him a framed collage of the IT covers he’s been on. Clearly there was a delighted sparkle in the man’s eyes. “Is that the record?” he asked. “Well,” I hesitated. “We’ve had Serena, Sharapova and Andre [Agassi] on the cover a bunch of times.” But actually, Roger has lit up our covers far more often than any other player. With this month’s cover it will be 18 times in 36 years, which is just like Roger, who has 18 Slams and turns 36 in August. Below is the first of our three part in-depth interview with the greatest tennis player of all time. Enjoy!

Okay, Roger, last year you were injured and took six months off. Then, when you came back, you said to yourself, “Well, it would be good to make it to the Australian Open quarters.” Then, zoom – you had your dream run.

I’ve said that at last winning the French Open and winning my first Wimbledon were very special. They were unique and special in so many ways, but the Australian Open was the most surprising to me – besides maybe the 2003 Wimbledon.

Back then I was hoping to win Wimbledon at some point. A month earlier at the French Open I’d lost in the first round, and the year before at Wimbledon I’d lost in the first round. So it was a big surprise to win my first Wimbledon.

This year I genuinely thought I wasn’t going to win the Australian. It was just going to be a stepping stone to maybe winning another Slam. It wasn’t going to be the one where I was going to explode. But I did. In the pictures and videos, you see what it meant to me.

Is there a certain lightness that’s come with that 18th slam? You seem so relaxed.

That’s not because of 18…[Still] it was a beautiful thing that happened in Australia. I should play very relaxed this year…I really hope I can play with this lightness, this freshness throughout [the year], because I worked so hard to get to 18 the last five years. It’s not always been easy, especially with injuries.

[Since winning Wimbledon in 2010] I lost some tough matches, but I did have good moments, too…I won a lot of tournaments, beat a lot of the top guys, basically all of them…[and Switzerland] won the Davis Cup, which was big…So it wasn’t all bad. People make it sound like there was this huge lull or bad stretch. It wasn’t…

I [just] couldn’t get a slam mostly because of Novak. So I’m happy I finally got it.

Sure,  show up with more motivation and excitement [now]. That’s why I’m out there…pushing myself on, [with a] shot-for-shot, point-for-point mentality. It’s so important to…not look too far ahead and think things are going to come easy…[The] margins are small. If you’re not up to your best you might lose. It happens so quickly. That’s why I’m really pushing to have good energy on the court.

Even before this dream run, you were such an international figure – beloved by millions. A survey came out that said you were more respected than the Pope, the Queen and Obama.

It’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you know that.

Yeah, yeah, sure – but do you sense that there’s a responsibility with all of that?

Yeah, it depends on how much you want to accept that role. For me it’s always important to fulfill the role of role model for the kids. Especially since I had the year I had last year, if I can be a motivator for others, it’s a great way to connect to many more people. It’s more difficult to relate to a player who is dominating or always winning than it is to relate to somebody who’s had their ups and downs.

I had my downs last year, and I had my doubts. Everybody has doubts. I have doubts on a regular basis. But I try not to talk about them too often or show weakness to my opponents. Last year there was no denying that I had issues, with my knee, with struggling to get things right and understanding what was wrong. That happens to many people. So when I won I felt that so many people knew what I was going through, and they felt the pain that I’d gone through the year before. People were so happy for me.

Right now I’m at an all-time high. People felt like, “This Federer, maybe that guy deserves one more title.” That’s my take-away from Australia – how many people were genuinely happy for me. That was the surprise for me. I thought my fans were going to be like, ‘See, I told you this Federer guy was not done yet,’ but there was more to it. People were just on a cloud – it was special.

I’ve been in this racket for 37 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it. Talk about how sports can uplift people’s spirits. The impact of your [Australian Open] win was so vast.

That’s why a lot of people follow sports – because sports make them happy. Your guy or your team doesn’t always win, but that’s okay, because better times usually come. It’s a bit of a roller coaster ride in a career, or for a team. I was particularly happy that it resonated so big and so many people were so genuinely happy.

Tennis has been fortunate over the years to have had a lot of graceful champions – Hoad, Laver, Edberg, Borg, Rafter, Kuerten.

But you not only get incredible results, you do it with such an athletic grace. There’s a lightness to your movement and a beauty to your movement which at times seems to defy gravity. Early in your career you said, “Hey, I gotta cool it with all the spectacular shots. I have to be more than an artist out there, just trying to please the crowd.” Talk about your art and how you blended your love of beauty and shot-making with the ability to win.

I definitely was fortunate that I was taught the techniques I have now, and that I understood what it meant to work hard away from the court, which allowed me to get to shots that I didn’t know I could reach – or pull off hard shots while I’m making it look easy. That was difficult for me sometimes, because when I’d lose, people wouldn’t understand. They’d ask, “Why isn’t he trying hard or fighting hard?” But just because I’m not huffing and puffing and sweating and grunting, that doesn’t mean I’m not trying hard.

For me that fine line was actually quite difficult in the beginning. Once you start winning, people are always going to say, “You’re doing great, everything you do is wonderful.” But I always was very humble in the sense that I knew that this could evaporate very quickly. You don’t know how long you’re going to be at the top. When I was at a crossroads in 2004 and became world No. 1 for the first time, I thought, “Ok, do I want to stay there, or just enjoy the ride and see how long it lasts before it fizzles out?” I decided I would love to squeeze more of these moments and play the right way with the right mindset and the right flair, but also with fair play and also to represent the game well, which is very important to me.

Like you said, I do look back often, I’m very thankful to those who paved the way, the Lavers and all the others, and I know many people have put in unbelievable work to get the game where it is today.

I’m a modern version of those players, and I think very much about the future and where the game should be going. Because I’ve been around for so long I’m a bridge to what’s to come. A lot of people, especially from the older generation, relate to me easily because of my one-handed backhand. Fortunately I’ve gotten a lot of compliments over the years, but it’s also normal to be criticized, and I’ve also had that over a long period of time as well. I felt like I navigated quite well through both sides.

Your former coach Peter Lundgren said when he started with you, when you were a young pro, you had all the shots. Did the technique come from your earlier coach Peter Carter or from the Swiss academies?

You would think it came mostly through Peter Carter who I knew from eight years old. Also Sepp Kacowski, Cristophe Freyss and Alexis Bernhard at the tennis academy and then Lundgren and Carter took over again after that when I was 16. That’s when my technique was formed.

Speaking of Carter, talk about the impact of his passing [in an auto accident in 2002 in South Africa] and how it affected your perspective.

For me, Peter was incredibly important. He was one of the coaches who taught me technique early on and that sticks with you for a lifetime. He was like an older brother, like Peter Lundgren was…[He was] like a father figure, to a certain extent. At the beginning a coach is really, really important. I was extremely fortunate to have such great coaches from the beginning of my career until today.

So his death was definitely…a wake-up call for me. [After that] I wasn’t going to waste any talent, even if I got to be world No. 1 or won Grand Slams…Maybe  I could achieve more, have more power and be more happy. Maybe those extra steps come through due to the loss of Peter – I’m not sure.

You just flew in here to Seattle from Dubai. You have a South African mom. Your wife Mirka is Slovakian. Your agent Tony and your Wilson and Nike suppliers are American. You’ve had many coaches from all over – Aussies, a Swede, an American and a Croatian lad now. You’re Swiss, of course, but do you feel like you’re a world citizen?

Yes, definitely. In Switzerland I grew up in Basel but I lived in Lausanne, Biel, Zurich and now I live in the mountains. I’m moving all around. I have a flat in Dubai. I’m working with all these international people. I definitely feel like a world citizen, yet I know my roots, they come from Basel – I’m from Switzerland. I’m very proud to represent that country. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life and have my kids go to school.

I’m very thankful for that part, but the reception I get around the world and the fact that people have embraced me as a person and as a player [is an honor that] has been second to none. It’s nice to feel home away from home in all these other places. It feels very special.

You also have a unique connection with Africa. You have a South African passport, and I love the story about you seeing a leopard kill of a gazelle. You’ve come halfway around the world here to Seattle to do a fundraiser for your southern Africa foundation. What’s special about Africa, what speaks to you?

The continent is very unique in many ways. Every continent is, but Africa has a special meaning to me because my mom was born and grew up there and then came to Switzerland and we kept on going back to South Africa on vacation and traveled a lot through the country and always saw family. When you have family [there], naturally you feel local. When I was little, I had great vacations down in South Africa near Jo’burg and at the Cape. For me it’s great to have a foundation that is connected to that part of the world. Unfortunately, I can’t go there often because there are no tournaments there. It’s a pity. At the same time, when I do go, it feels very special. I’ve made a conscious effort to go as often as possible. Still, we’re very fortunate that we can do this fundraiser.

Our pal Yannick Noah always said he got a spiritual charge out of going to Africa.

That’s how I feel. When you’re there it fuels you with incredible power. That’s why it’s amazing to see the impact the foundation has on kids, on mothers, on teachers, on chiefs of villages, all these people, and what it gives back to me is amazing. It gives me motivation to raise more funds to give back, and it gives me energy to play tennis. It works both ways.

Can I ask you about Maria Sharapova and whether it’s right for her to get a wildcard?

What do you think?

I think she should get wildcards but it’s hard. She’s wonderful, I just wish she’d shown a little more remorse. I would have liked to see her express more feelings from the heart.

Yes.

Thanks, man.

Thanks for coming up. I’ll see you in Paris?

Yes, for sure.

Look for parts two and three of our interview in our upcoming issues where Roger talks about his early years, his tears, his footwork, his decision-making and the one thing we don’t know about him.

Email: simons@insidetennis.com

Twitter: billsimons

http://www.insidetennis.com/2017/05/exclusive-federer-interview-part-1/

^^^ Thanks for the translation! That answer from Roger about being in Paris (and his answer to Carrillo) is why many of us were surprised when Roger opted not to play. Again, I understand the decision based on his current schedule, but I'm just wondering why he seemed so sure he would play last month? Maybe he really believed he would, but his team convinced him it was better not to play.

Steerpike60 wrote:^^^ Thanks for the translation!  That answer from Roger about being in Paris (and his answer to Carrillo) is why many of us were surprised when Roger opted not to play.   Again, I understand the decision based on his current schedule, but I'm just wondering why he seemed so sure he would play last month?  Maybe he really believed he would, but his team convinced him it was better not to play.

Same here... In all the interviews he did  to promote M4A not once did he seem to seriously consider withdrawing... He did mention the final decision would be made in early May but for me it was a given that he would play unless some last minute physical issue forced him to reconsider... I wonder what / who made him change his mind - maybe we'll know more about it when he comes back on the tour, I'm sure he'll be asked about what motivated his decision. Had he practised for a week on clay it would have made more sense - he could have  realized there wasn't enough time for him to adapt to the surface etc but after barely two days ? It's truly baffling...

I also thought that Roger would play RG, considering all his previous indications, but the weather forecast may have been a consideration for his decision. I seem to recall Roger mentioning, at one point, that if the weather was going to cold and wet, Paris may not be so appealing.

Here is how Jon Wertheim answered that very question in his Mail bag two days ago, and it somehow makes sense to me:

Q. Lots of speculation as to the reasoning behind Federer's withdrawal from Roland Garros. While the surface, rest for his body, and Nadal's current form could be significant factors, couldn't the 15-day weather forecast also have swayed his decision? Makes sense considering the timing of the announcement, and the Paris forecast for the week leading into the tournament does not call for temperatures above the 60's. Not ideal conditions for Federer's body or his best play.
—Matt Marolf in Long Island City, N.Y.

JW: • The big news this week in tennis was, of course, Roger Federer’s decision to skip the French Open for the second straight year. Pragmatically it's a smart decision. At this stage, Federer wants to maximize his chances of winning. It’s not simply that clay is going to be the most demanding surface on his body. It’s that clay—and the temperamental weather—can undermine his chances of success beyond Paris, ie. at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Federer’s back tightens on a cold, wet day and it could tank his entire summer. Federer’s internal risk management department came to the conclusion that it wasn’t worth it.

You can read his full answer here Jon Wertheim's Mail Bag, including his five reasons why the news triggered a twinge of sadness for many...

Thanks Corinne and a nice pic too - in whites

He shied away most effectively from voicing an opinion on Maria. Normally he's not backwards about coming forwards on any abuse of the rules but in interviews he will never bad-mouth a fellow player.
Im not sure what I think about that.

And yes, re RG I think multiple factors played a part in his decision, the main one being he wasnt going to risk a strain, an injury or a flair up of his back thanks to straight into 5-setters on clay with no warm-up tourney (but then why not play one warm up?); cold and wet weather; and Pippa Middleton's wedding
He has let us know he enjoys mixing with the big Society players.
And all the while he said he planned- note planned- to play Paris, at no point did he say a definite he woyld be there. There was always a get out clause. He may just have not wanted to ruin it for the tourney by announcing well in advance he wouldnt play but I dont think that's a plausible explanation- he wouldnt want to deliberately deceive his own fans. I think all along, after how he felt on the clay last year, he was reluctant to risk it when Wimby is his Holy Grail.

Corinne thank you so much for the interview, this first part. Merci!

I don't know if the weather played a part in Roger's decision but if it did I have no idea which forecast he consulted because the weather is supposed to  be perfect for at least the next ten days, with temperatures averaging 27 / 28 degrees Celsius...

I think at the time he did the interviews he was hoping to play but after the clay practice he and his team decided it woudn't be worth it.

I am operating under the idea that from now on he could pull out of any tournament at any time this year, with the exception of Wimbledon and the US Open. Not because he wants to but because he will feel he has to in order to prolong his playing career for a few more years.

UES wrote:I think at the time he did the interviews he was hoping to play but after the clay practice he and his team decided it woudn't be worth it.

I am operating under the idea that from now on he could pull out of any tournament at any time this year, with the exception of Wimbledon and the US Open.  Not because he wants to but because he will feel he has to in order to prolong his playing career for a few more years.

Unfortunately I'm not so sure as far as the USO is concerned... The only certainty is him playing Wimby - he did last year when  totally unfit and had to take six months off as a result... Everything else, even Basel, is up in the air... As for prolonging his career for a few more years, look, I don't know... If he was 30 or 32 I would totally understand but he's nearly 36... I honestly can't see him play beyond 2018, even with a reduced schedule.

I don't think Roger is worrying about prolonging his career, hes not into tennis right now. Hes doing so many outside activities that tennis is taking a back seat!! When the RF,Com site was so abruptly closed it was a hint at what was to come. Even his message on his new site did not say "Dear Fans". We were so spoiled by him for years. I love him to pieces & always will but I'm preparing myself. Miss all the folks from the old site!!!
>>BUT am very grateful for this one cause everyone else is on FB!! THANK YOU!!!!

^^^There was an interview with Luthi and Roger also said - I think it was after Miami? - that he would be playing a full grass and HC season. The only thing up in the air was really the clay, so if all goes well we will see him from Stuttgart to the USO!

I think I am still really sad about the RF forum. For many of us who choose not to be part of FB or Twitter this was a very special place. However, I do remember someone saying that it was a business decision re the people who managed the forum. Perhaps there were also liability issues as we (me included) were rather forthright about our opinions of RN and others.

But shutting down his forum is not an indication that he is ready to retire. Perhaps he will let his body and his family decide. And he has a right to do that. Without explanations. He owes us nothing.

Once More With Feeling
Two decades into his legendary career, Roger Federer is playing with a newfound freedom -- and having way too much fun to quit now.
by Kurt Streeter
05/30/17

Ah, s---, it's all happening again."

Roger Federer remembers the moment, the word, with painful clarity. "Again."

He was down 3-1 in the fifth set of the 2017 Australian Open final, losing to Rafael Nadal, his career kryptonite. Nadal, who was 6-0 against Federer in grand slams since 2008, pounded forehands at him. Federer felt his legs go heavy. Then heavier. He started talking to himself. "I recall saying, 'You have to try to break now, pal, because later on he is going to stay in the lead and have the break, and then too much luck is involved to turn the whole thing around.'"

More than any player in the modern era, Roger Federer has made the game look easy. Federer, the graceful. Federer, the perfect. Federer, the ideal tennis player. It's what makes him so intoxicating to watch. It's what inspires a near literal traveling church of Roger Federer faithful at ATP events. But what looks easy comes with a soundtrack, an internal monologue, and in that monologue, the greatest male tennis player of all time will sometimes grind hard, full of doubt and pressure and frustration, wrestling with history and ambition, fearful of coming up short.

"Oh, s---, he's got me at the finish line," Federer said to himself.

He struggled to calm down. He kept talking, tried to stay positive: "I told myself, 'I've done very little wrong. I've played committed. I've played bigger with my backhand than I ever have against Rafa. I've hit a lot of backhand winners.'"

He was resetting, centering himself in the middle of a free fall. And somewhere in the conversation between Federer and Federer he found the calm he was seeking. This was an unlikely final to be in, coming off a left knee injury at age 35, and the boisterous crowd was with him. He fed on its energy. He remembers it now as some combination of Zen and excitement. "A different mindset," he says. Instead of getting shaky, he got energized. Instead of reproducing an old pattern, he found something new. "I had the best 20 minutes of my life, maybe, on the tennis court," he says. "I just zoned in and just went ..." He lifts his right hand and mimics a jet taking off. It climbs higher and higher, and then it flies away.

Federer is sitting at a long, lacquered table in a private dining room at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Seattle. He is tanned and wears a black Nike top and black Nike sweats. He sits up in his chair, unspooling the moment in Melbourne, excited at the memory of it. "What I was telling myself is 'Play free,'" he says. "'Don't feel like you're in a straitjacket. Feel like you have nothing to lose, maybe for one of the first times.'"

With Federer serving for the match, Nadal made one last charge, earning two break points and threatening to take back momentum. Federer kept talking to himself, urging himself on: "Just keep not thinking too much about the what-ifs ... the pressure, the moment. I know it's huge, we all know it's huge, but just try to shake it off. Don't freeze up. Fight, but don't try too hard and want it too much."

He looks out the hotel-room window toward Puget Sound. The sky is clear and blue. "Just like Switzerland," he says. Snow-covered mountains rise in the distance. The view is scarred by an unsightly gray power plant. He looks past it to the water and the white peaks.

"I let go," he says.



By winning the Australian Open this year, Roger Federer padded his lead over his two active rivals -- Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic -- on the career Grand Slam titles leaderboard.

THE 20 MINUTES in Melbourne have changed the tone and shape of the last phase of Roger Federer's career.

For as long as he keeps playing tennis, he says, he will seek the feeling he found on that night. He is closing in on two decades as a professional, a record career that includes 18 grand slams, but winning the Australian after a nearly five-year major tournament drought -- and against a legion of critics who said his best days might be behind him -- feels like a beginning somehow. Never mind making tennis look easy; he is learning how to play the game at ease.

"I'm having a great time," he says, pouring himself a Pellegrino. "A fantastic time, really." He doesn't mean just at Melbourne. He dominated at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, in March, then won another big title in Miami in April. He beat Nadal in all three tournaments, twice without losing a set.

The run seems to be helping him ignore expectations -- and retirement chatter -- as he picks and chooses the tournaments he plays while his younger rivals push through the ATP tour schedule. Thinking about saving energy, going easy on his surgically repaired left knee and extending his playing days as long as he can, Federer recently opted out of the upcoming French Open; clay courts often mean long, grinding matches, and the surface doesn't favor Federer's quick game.

"I can just play the tournaments I want to play and enjoy the process," he says. "If I do show up and play, I love it. When I'm in training, I enjoy being in training. When I'm not in training, if I'm on vacation, I can enjoy that. I'm not in a rush. So I can take a step back and just actually enjoy."

HE IS IN Seattle because of Bill Gates. A Federer superfan and dedicated rec-level player, Gates watched his favorite player at Indian Wells. They bonded there over tennis and philanthropy. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has spent billions on improving living standards in Africa. Federer's foundation also focuses on Africa, especially education for children. They decided to organize an exhibition at the KeyArena in Seattle -- Federer vs. John Isner, the tall, big-serving American -- as part of a fundraiser for Federer's charity.

A couple of days before the exhibition, Federer, wife Mirka and a few others from his team visited Gates' 66,000-square-foot compound on the shores of Lake Washington, called Xanadu 2.0. Before courses of halibut and steak, they spoke about physics and Leonardo da Vinci and his audacious, open-minded genius. Growing up, Federer wasn't focused on being a student, he says. He stopped going to school at age 16 to play tennis full time. Over the years, he's tried to soak up knowledge where he can. The night at Gates' estate was a career high point. "It was so inspiring," he says. "It was surreal."

Gates invited his guests into his library. He and Federer paid special attention to a notebook in a glass case -- the Codex Leicester, filled with Leonardo's drawings, theories and thoughts. Gates paid $30.8 million for it in 1994.

Federer stared in amazement. "He tells you that Da Vinci wrote upside down and from right to left -- Leonardo da Vinci! -- and he was not only great at one thing but he was also great at other things, and you realize how broad somebody's mind can be. Bill Gates is one of those people too. You can feel it. He makes you -- not because he wants to in any way, because he's super humble -- but he just makes you feel so small, in the sense that I know so little. Everything he says just seems really important, and you try to absorb it. I tried really to put my antennas up."

Over the course of a long weekend, Federer and Gates had two dinners and a lunch together. They practiced tennis in front of an exclusive audience of deep-pocket donors, and Federer presented Gates with a new racket similar to his own, a matte-black Wilson RF97. It was inscribed on the throat with Gates' profile and renamed the BG97.




Bill Gates is a Federer superfan and dedicated rec-level player.

Gates was struck by Federer's curiosity, and, of course, by his grace. "You know, tennis, it's sort of physics," he says. "But it's also artistic, particularly the way Roger appears to move so effortlessly." Practicing with Federer, noticing his attention to detail, his meticulous approach, Gates was reminded of a software engineer's painstaking efforts to make computer programs easy to use. "You're making impossible things actually look fairly easy because you've done so much behind the scenes to understand it," he says.

At the exhibition, Federer and Gates played a lighthearted set of doubles with Isner and Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready. Gates was nervous about playing in front of a crowd. His reputation as a computer genius and philanthropist is unassailable, but what if he embarrassed himself as a tennis player? Federer took him aside. One of the world's greatest tennis players became a coach. One of the world's richest men became a student. The lessons were imported from Australia. Be aggressive but loose. Breathe deep. Keep a Zen-like focus on the ball.

"Let go," Federer said.

"He made it clear," Gates says, "that we were going to have fun."

Gates didn't miss a single serve.

ONCE A CAREFULLY crafted image of Swiss perfection, Federer has long showed only glimpses of his life in carefully choreographed doses. But lately that's been changing. "I have an easier time sharing these feelings that I have with people," he says.

He laughed through an impromptu recording of a karaoke moment in January with tour buddies Tommy Haas and Grigor Dimitrov. "We're starting a boyband #NOTNSYNC," said his Instagram account. The video went viral. He filmed a practice session in Dubai wearing a microphone, describing drills in real time and taking questions from fans. "I miss you guys," he said. "That is why I am training so hard and trying to get back, so that we can sort of see each other again."

At Indian Wells, he held a news conference for elementary school kids and talked kittens and oatmeal and parents. Then he plopped to the floor and did pushups with laughing second-graders. In Miami, he posed for a selfie with a large iguana that trundled around the side courts. "Roger is feeling it," says Haas, a longtime pro.

At the Met Gala in New York in early May, Federer wore a tuxedo that looked very much like a Federer tuxedo: classic and well-trimmed. But when he turned around, there was a cobra on the back. A bejeweled, tongue-flashing cobra on Roger Federer. Wrap your mind around that. He snapped selfies. They flew across the internet. "I thought, 'Come on, let's come up with something cool,'" he says. "I've never been so, 'Let me look good. Let's do something fun here.'"

Famously private and focused, he says he sometimes muses now about how cool it might be to show up at a public park, surprise people and shoot hoops with them or hit tennis balls. But so far he hasn't been able to bring himself to do it. He's still Swiss, after all. Showing up unannounced on someone else's turf would be impolite. "I'm entering someone's space, and I would disrupt somebody. ... Going to the park and doing that and seeing people's faces would be very cool. But I don't know -- I'm too shy to do it for now."

FEDERER IS SURPRISED by how excited people have been about him since Australia. "I've had rocky years the last few years," he says. "And I did have my doubts. I think people can relate to that."

Until now, he largely has been a blank slate upon which fans can project their feelings -- like Gates, who sees in him some fantastic combination of science and art. But if perfection was once the draw for Fed fans, maybe now it's something more human.

Reality peaked in 2016, when he twisted a knee while bathing his children in Melbourne and tore his meniscus, requiring surgery. If a simple task of fatherhood caused a serious injury, how much longer could he expect to play tennis like Roger Federer? Then he hurt his back. Then, at Wimbledon, he fell in a heap against Milos Raonic in the semifinals. His knee newly aggravated, he took six months off the tour (for rehab.

For the first time since he was a teenager, he experienced what it was like to have significant time away from pressure and fame. He spent long stretches at home, near Zurich. He hung out at his second home in Dubai. He visited Greece and took his family to the Hamptons. "It felt like the end of a career," he says. He missed the game but also learned that when the time comes to retire, he will be able to handle it. "When all is said and done," he says, "it will be fine."

Knowing this has made it easier to get back into the game. He followed the tour during his rehab, tracking who was struggling and who was on a roll. On an indoor court in Switzerland, he began to hit balls again. The ritual was familiar, but it felt different too. He sensed that playing tennis offered a special kind of truth for him, a feeling of mastery and control and singular competition that he would never get anywhere else, a feeling he liked. Call it joy.

"Oh, man," he recalls thinking, "it would be nice to be back. It would be nice."


Federer won the Australian Open after a nearly five-year major tournament drought and against a legion of critics who said his best days might be behind him

AS A TEENAGER, Federer says he had "an amazing time -- coming up, sharing the locker room with the guys for the first time." Between ages 20 and 30, he broke through and dominated the men's game like few before him. After 30, he was up and down until his injury. His play this season stands apart from the years when he was winning three grand slam tournaments a year. Back then, there were stretches when the expectations were absurd. "People were like, 'Oh my god, he's maybe going to lose a set in this match,'" he recalls. "And I'm thinking, like, 'OK, guys, margins are slim. It is normal to lose sets. It might be normal to lose a match.'"

Now neither Federer nor his fans are certain what to expect. He turns 36 in August. This was supposed to be the year of his steep decline. After Australia, Indian Wells and Miami, after getting a seeming upper hand on Nadal, what does he think about the future now? Wimbledon in July is his Holy Grail. He is practicing on hard, fast courts -- with Wimbledon balls. After that, he plans a full schedule, highlighted by the U.S. Open and the tour finals. Maybe he'll finish another season ranked No. 1.

"I think if I find the right balance, it could be quite exciting," he says. Exciting enough to stave off any notions of impending retirement, though he is coy about predictions. "I will play until 40," he says, deadpan. Then he laughs. "Just maybe not on the tour." His goal right now is "to keep a freshness, a freeness" in his game.

It showed at Indian Wells. During practice on the olive and blue courts near the main stadium, the spectators sat 10 rows deep in the stands. He toyed with the ball, spinning it sideways, slapping it to all corners. The fans gasped with delight. He bent to adjust a sock. They gasped again. He paused to soak it in.

Back in Seattle, he lifts his feet onto a leather-backed chair in the hotel dining room and stretches his legs. Of one thing he's certain: "At this point of my career, I will be more laid-back."


Roger Federer ranks No. 4 in the ESPN World Fame 100. This story about him appears in ESPN The Magazine's June 12 World Fame Issue.

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/19461829/australian-open-winner-roger-federer-having-way-too-much-fun-quit-now