Rome 2019 Pressers & Interviews

Rome 2019 - Pre-Tournament Press Conference
TUE May 14, 2019

> Pre-Tournament Interview

Federer Delighted To Return To Rome

> Press Conference Transcript

INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA
May 14, 2019

Roger Federer

Rome, Italy
Pre-Tournament Press Conference


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In your many experiences, you have the experience of the old players of the Italian school, Seppi, and the new one of Piatti school, the same school but two different generations. What do you think about them?

ROGER FEDERER: You're talking about Sinner now?


Q. Yes.

ROGER FEDERER: I practiced with him yesterday, Seppi today. So it's true, I practiced with both generations.

Yeah, I think Sinner is a good player. I practiced with him outside of Monaco after the Laureus Awards last year in February. I saw him when he was young. He made some nice improvements, obviously gotten stronger.

He seems like a good guy. In terms of maybe technique, it's a similar approach to a strong baseline game. I mean, from Sinner we have still so much more to come, whereas Andreas, we know him so very well, we know what to expect. He's super tough.

But both come from similar places. Both are really nice. I think also Riccardo does a nice job of educating the person, not only the player.


Q. You have gotten off to some quick starts in your matches of late. Is that something since you were a junior you've been good at? Why do you think you've been able to do that so well, especially of late?

ROGER FEDERER: You always try to get off to a good start, but you can't always do it. Sometimes your opponent is stronger. I think everybody knows how important a good start is for the remainder of the match. I don't think it's something you can necessarily practice. I think a good warmup helps, a good focus, and also being able I think to settle the nerves early helps to play good tennis. I don't remember going back to my junior days and thinking, I have to start well.

It's what your coach tells you before you walk out: Remember, try to start well.

You're like: Yeah, I'll try to do that.

There's never a guarantee.


Q. There's an ATP board election tonight, the council voting for the new board member to replace Justin. As someone with experience in that, what qualities would you look for in making that decision? Then, when you announced you're playing, they doubled ticket prices for tomorrow. I'm curious if you think you should get a cut of that.

ROGER FEDERER: No. No. But I heard about it. I heard some fans clearly were not happy about it. That's obviously disappointing to hear. They made it in a way like they rewarded the fans who bought tickets earlier, which is sort of strange, but okay.

Look, I just really hope it doesn't take away the fact I'm really happy to be here. There's going to be good crowds hopefully, good atmosphere. Personally I'm very happy to be here. I'm pumped up to play well. I mean, my excitement couldn't be bigger.

The moment I landed in Rome yesterday, I was so happy to be here. I love this city. Always enjoyed playing in Italy. It's probably the country I've played the most junior tennis in. Coming down from Switzerland to the clay courts was always a logical junior trip. They have very strong junior tournaments here. I love being here, especially in this city as well.

In terms of the board decision, you know, I think what we need is somebody who can definitely also communicate well with players and then also with the other board members on the tournament side. It's been at times quite divided. I'm not sure if that's good.

I understand that you have to fight for the players, and they fight for the tournaments. In some stages you also have to find consensus between one another. Yeah, I'm curious to find out who it's going to be.

I just hope that person's going to be hard-working, excited, and understands it's a very important role. I'm hoping it's not going to be a role he sort of does on the side and he has another priority. That would be nice.


Q. What went into the decision to come here? You obviously had those three matches in Madrid, a couple dramatic matches.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah.


Q. The Madrid conditions lent to your tennis well. Why did you feel like you wanted to come here to Rome?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I don't know if it lends itself that well. Madrid is a tough place to play. Ball bounces extremely high. There was wind, nice weather. There were shadows. Conditions were tough for all players. I know people think, Oh, it's faster, so it's better. But conditions are tough in Madrid.

I felt like playing somewhat maybe more sea level conditions would be good for me. In Switzerland we have somewhat of an altitude everywhere you go, everywhere you look. The weather this week in Switzerland is also not great. Yesterday when I left it was like five degrees in the morning when I woke up. It's just not ideal to practice this way as well I believe.

Then I was in the mood to play. Would I rather practice or play matches? I've just come from practicing for five weeks after Miami. I think I was playing well in Madrid, so I just said, again, Let's come to Rome, a city I like so much as well. There would be excitement, more excitement than me coming to a practice court in Switzerland (smiling). I thought that would be nice.

Honestly, I love to play matches. Regardless of what happens here, I just think it's good for me to play matches at this stage.


Q. Having skipped the clay season for a few years, now having come back, you played Madrid, do you feel like your clay game came right back or did it feel you've been away for a while on this surface?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I got that question a lot last week. I felt I actually came back fairly quickly. Especially now with having played Madrid, I think the decision making also came back quite natural.

I think it always goes back to the fact that I did grow up on this surface. Sliding is something I actually enjoy doing. The problem is, like, the more time I spend on clay, maybe sometimes the more excited I get playing on the surface, start sliding around too much instead of actually moving sometimes like on the hard courts and only sliding when really required.

I think this week, then next week in Paris, it's going to be interesting to see how I play the points, how I do it all. In Madrid, like we said, conditions were extremely fast, so you could play serve and volley, you could come to the net. Here maybe it's easier to play dropshots, easier maybe to go backhands up the line. On fast courts it's maybe not so simple to do that at will.

I must say also in practice in Switzerland I felt good right away. Very happy where I'm at, to be quite honest. I was a bit surprised that it went as easy as it did, yeah.


Q. Dominic Thiem said a lot of guys with one-handed backhands are beating Rafa more than in the past. Do you feel you have a chance maybe here?

ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I'm so far away in the draw, I don't even know where he is, if I'm in his section or not. But I have other problems first getting there.

But, yeah, it's true. I thought Stefanos was very impressive against him last week. I saw the end of the game. Then also obviously Dominic in, what is it, Barcelona played great. Stan has also played him tough in the past. This time it didn't work out in Madrid.

Yeah, I mean, possibly. There is a bit of a new wave coming through with the one-handed backhand that can counter some of Rafa's spins and lefty play. But, again, this is maybe also just a moment in time. We'll see what happens for the rest of the year.


Q. Venus and Serena are playing against each other tomorrow for the first time here in 21 years. They played here in 1998 when they were teenagers.

ROGER FEDERER: Okay.


Q. Do you ever see them and wonder what it would be like to have the same opponent or rival for that long? I'm not sure you overlapped with anybody that hovered around your level for more than two decades. What would that journey be like with an opponent, regardless if they're in your family or not?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, look, family, it's even extra tough. At least it's not a contact sport, so that's okay. The Klitschko brothers, they didn't want to do it, I understand.

Yeah, I mean, the only one that comes close I guess is Rafa to some extent, then Lleyton Hewitt. It is interesting, especially coming through the juniors, seeing somebody evolve and grow like this. Eventually they become the champion, but you still always see the kid in them. That will never go away. For that reason, I think when you have the same age, exact same age, the rivalries are different. I won't say they're more exciting, but they are exciting.

You know so much, learn so much, promoted so many tournaments and places, maybe sponsorship, who knows what. They've done a lot of things together.

So, yeah, this rivalry is definitely highly unique in all of sports.


Q. What do you think about this year, there are so many different winners? All tournaments different except you, and in clay more. All the big tournaments a different winner. What do you think about this? The level is very high or what?

ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I guess it's also a bit of a normal evolution. I think it's not always possible for everybody to win everything. You might maybe think that it has stabilized a little bit with Thiem winning Indian Wells and Barcelona, with Novak winning last week, and in Australia, me winning Dubai and Miami. There's a few multiple champions now.

It's true, the young guys are pushing through nicely the last year. You look at the move that Tsitsipas has done, or Medvedev or Khachanov, Felix, Denis, so forth. It's announcing to be a very exciting season, even a more complicated one for the top guys next year, I believe, because this is the year where they truly are breaking through, truly are gaining a lot of experience.

I think it's going to be a good season. It's going to be interesting to see who is going to make the World Tour Finals, especially if so many guys have won especially big titles, like Fabio in Monaco. That's going to give him a chance to stay in the hunt, in the race for a long time. If he stays healthy, he has a lot to play for, like a few other guys, by the way. I think it's going to be cool.

Especially for the clay-courters, this is a huge swing here, what's left for Rome and Paris. Then maybe after Wimbledon again.

Yeah, I think it's going to be good. I'm happy to see that it is the way it is, to be quite honest.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports - Tennis

Rome 2019 - R2 Press Conference  THU May 16, 2019

Round 2 - Centrale Stadium - 11:30 am  
(First of two matches being played on the same day)
Roger Federer    d.  Joao Sousa    :   6-4, 6-3   Match Stats 

Note: All R2 matches originally scheduled for May 15 were postponed to the following day due to rain. Hence most players are doing double duties, playing their R2 and R3 matches on the same day.
   

> Post-Match Interview (R2)

Federer Reveals Good Sign After First Win | Rome 2019

> PeRFect Defense

Roger Federer Epic Defence & Winners vs Sousa

> Press Conference Transcript

Very short press conference, this being the first of two matches being played on the same day.

INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA
May 16, 2019

Roger Federer

Rome, Italy

R. FEDERER/J. Sousa
6-4, 6-3

(Transcribed from recorded ATP audio.)

ROGER FEDERER: -- different conditions, I don't know if the score would have been different. From that standpoint, I'm happy we got to play a good match. I think it's a slippery court here, I must say. It's tough to play I think for all the players.

Every clay court plays slightly different: Monaco, Madrid, Barcelona, here, Paris. I think when it's a bit nicer weather here, it slides a lot.

I came out of the blocks well, had a good feeling. Didn't get broken. That on clay in a first round is a good sign.


Q. We'll see you again later today. Unusual situation because of the rain yesterday. How are you going to prepare for this match? How challenging is it?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I think, like any other practice day when you play twice a day, you finish the first session, take a shower, eat something, relax, get ready for the next one.

The good thing is that this one was not very physical. I think it gives me some good information. I believe it's going to be similar conditions in the match this afternoon.

The interesting thing is I played today, he didn't. Is that an advantage? Is that a disadvantage? I don't know. Borna is tough. I lost to him a couple times last year. He played really good against me in Halle, Shanghai.

Regardless of the surface, I know it's going to be tough.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports - Tennis

Rome 2019 - R3 Press Conference  THU May 16, 2019

Round 3 - Grandstand Stadium - 5:30 pm  
(Second match of the day)
Roger Federer    d.  Borna Coric  :CR2:  :   2-6, 6-4, 7-67  Match Stats 

> Post-Match Interview (R3)

Federer On Saving Match Point In Rome

> Nail-biting Ending...

Dramatic Moments at End of Federer vs Coric Match!  

> Press Conference Transcript

Roger talks about the problem with the lines being wet and injuring his toe and leg, which resulted in his withdrawal from his QF match the next day!  

INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA
May 16, 2019

Roger Federer

Rome, Italy

R. FEDERER/B. Coric
2-6, 6-4, 7-6⁷


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How does it feel to save two match points two weeks in a row? Has it happened to you before?

ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. I feel like I've won a lot and lost a lot like this.

No, it was fun to be part of. Yeah, I mean, the thing is also once you end up in these situations and you've been there before, like not long ago, they're easier to play. The problem is when they never happen and all of a sudden they do happen.

I feel like they're tricky because, I don't know, you put so much energy and focus on every single point. You don't want to do wrong, you want to do right. Things happen so quickly. It's like a penalty shootout at the end.

Look, it was a great atmosphere. Definitely, again, felt like I got a little lucky obviously. Borna had the lead. There was crucial moments throughout the match, second set and third set, for me to stay in it. Things definitely went my way tonight.


Q. When you do have match points last week, this week, is it at all worrisome, or you think that it's part of the game?

ROGER FEDERER: Just part of it. It's not going to continue this way. I did have thankfully time in between the Sousa match today to break it up a little bit.

For me personally, I think it's great playing these kind of matches here on the clay, enjoying myself. No, not all the time but in moments I did try my best at the end. I don't know, it's a weird one when they happen. Try to stay calm and do the right things.

I think important is to sort of have a plan. That you do win and lose matches having match point, that's normal.


Q. Talk about the challenge of playing two matches today, different courts. I don't know the last time you were on Grandstand. You looked like you were the Pope in your car leaving that court. The whole experience of today, how different was that?

ROGER FEDERER: It was very different. In all honesty, I've never even seen the court before because it's way up. You don't see it. Pietrangeli, Pallacorda like it used to be, I played on that one.

It was nice to be in the Grandstand. Conditions were difficult in the beginning, with the shade, all that stuff, coming through. It makes it harder to attack maybe.

I really enjoyed my match out on Grandstand. Crowds couldn't have been more enthusiastic. Very much one-way traffic. They were all behind me, which is cool. But it's tough for the opponent. Borna is a great guy. I hope they cheer for him in the future.

Then, like you said, the way from down here all the way over there, it's quite a walk. Then you have the golf cart. Once in a while that is fun. If it was like this every single game, you're tired by the time you get to the court and you're tired when you come back.

It was a great experience. I really enjoyed it. This is the kind of court I like because the crowds are close on all sides. There's not these massive VIP boxes where you have half the crowd sitting there. It's full. You really hear them screaming at you. That was fun.


Q. What was the debate with the umpire about the court? You felt it was slippery or something?

ROGER FEDERER: I don't quite understand how players just go with it. They water the court, call time, players kind of check the lines. They're like, Okay, I guess we can play.

The lines are wet. Wet lines means you slide. When I slid, caught myself, I did hurt my toe for like two games. My leg also was hurting a little bit. I don't know. I just don't understand. They don't make us play because Carlos told me, You don't have to play. I told him, Why did you call time? You make us stand there and feel the pressure from 10,000 people and live audience.

The player will always cave at the end, say, I guess I have to play. Can't wait. It's going to take five minutes basically. That's what it's going to take until the lines are dry.

I don't think we should play with wet lines. Nobody wants an injured player because of something silly like this just to keep the match going. That's why I thought it was great what the ball kids did, to dry the lines. It's quickly done. I know it's a bit of a pain to do it. It's for safety of the players.

That's just what I was referring to. How about just we sit here and then you call us rather than calling us and I have to make the call? I'll just keep playing because that's what you do by looking at the line for the fifth time, still seeing that it's wet. I don't know. I can't go sit down again. The show must go on.

That's really what it was about. I'm amazed how the players are, Okay, we'll play with wet lines. It's been going on like this for years. I've always thought it's dangerous with wet lines.


Q. I wonder if you did ask to play on Wednesday?

ROGER FEDERER: I did ask to play on Wednesday. I get what I want, remember? You guys know that. That was a big debate (smiling).

My favorite thing was to be here at 11 so I could wait all day. I really enjoyed that part yesterday (laughing).


Q. Starting on Wednesday, would you prefer to play five days in a row or play maybe Tuesday and have possibly one day off? What is the option, if you could choose, and they would listen to you?

ROGER FEDERER: I think it really depends on where you've been, where you're coming from. I went back to Switzerland after Madrid. I asked to play Wednesday. But if they tell me it's really impossible to do that, you talk about it and I'll accept it at the end of the day.

This time I thought Wednesday would be nice because that gives me a weekend with the kids, Saturday and Sunday off. Then I travel here on Monday, I believe. I practice here Monday, Tuesday. I do need two days to get ready, in all honesty.

Then it's okay to play five straight days or what happened now. You take that chance, but it's fine. It is what it is. At some other times you feel like, let's say Cincinnati, I've been there since Friday, okay to play Tuesday. The tournament is probably happy I'm okay to play Tuesday because other guys are coming from Montreal.

At the end you always have to check what the tournament wants, as well. You can put in requests. The tournament organizers at the end make the final decisions together with the ATP and the TVs really.

Q. (No microphone.)
ROGER FEDERER: Look, it is what it is.

Q. I know you've had a long day, but I hear there's a lot of talk in the locker room about Nick Kyrgios.
ROGER FEDERER: There wasn't.

Q. There wasn't?
ROGER FEDERER: Were you there? I didn't speak to one person, so...

Q. Ruud told us that.
ROGER FEDERER: He played the match. That's different.

Q. How long do you think he should be suspended considering his past?
ROGER FEDERER: I haven't heard of that. Should be suspended?

Q. I'm wondering how long you think he should be suspended.
ROGER FEDERER: Is he going to be suspended?


Q. I think there's going to be an investigation.
ROGER FEDERER: Got to be sure what you say. Careful.

I don't think he should be suspended personally. He walked off the court. I don't know, what did he do? He hurt a chair? I mean, that's not enough for me. I don't know if he's on probation or not from his Shanghai thing or not. If that's the case, then obviously you can maybe look into it. If that's run its course, I don't think he should be suspended.

A zero pointer, fine, all this stuff is already tough enough. He knows it's a mistake what happened. But, yes, you guys figure it out because you know (smiling).

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports - Tennis