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Roger Federer got here again to play tennis in Rome, on the Foro Italico, dwelling of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
However the reason being not (sadly!) an official return to competitions, however the marriage ceremony of certainly one of his finest pals, who’s getting married within the Italian capital.
The visitors performed a mini tennis match on courts 5, 6, 7 and eight of the Foro Italico, in an area created particularly for the visitors (over 100) who, divided into 4 teams, performed a mini tennis match.
Roger was seen taking part in nonetheless exhibiting an enviable bodily form even for the youngest, whereas his tennis… effectively that’s nonetheless as fantastic as twenty years in the past! Merely wonderful, as at all times.
The Swiss Maestro talks about his life after retirement
His finest pal’s marriage ceremony, his hobbies, his passions, his commitments resembling his Roger Federer Basis (right here you may learn our unique interview). After retirement, Roger is making up for misplaced time throughout his wonderful profession.
In a current interview with GQ Sport, Federer talked about many matters. The retirement, his emotions, his opponents, his household.
Merely iconic.@rogerfederer for @GQMagazine 🤝 @GQSports 🎾
📸: Lachlan Bailey pic.twitter.com/3dDVpIbvol
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 15, 2024
“The previous few years had been powerful due to the situation of my knee. Now I really feel relieved. I might really feel the top of my profession close to. If you formally retire, you are taking a deep breath and say: Okay, that was good! At that second I suffered, as a result of I knew it might be laborious: the second of the retreat in London and every part that preceded that occasion.
It was tremendous thrilling. One thing that has at all times been part of your life can be gone endlessly and you’ll’t get it again. The prepare leaves the station.
And that is superb, however clearly you may’t simply go from at some point to the following and say, No downside, it is simple. I bought the ending I wished, perhaps it went even higher,” mentioned the Swiss.
“Tennis was my id, however I did not simply do this day-after-day. I am a father, a husband and a son. Taking part in tennis was my pastime after which it was my job. However I at all times tried to not establish myself solely as a tennis participant. I feel this mentality has been a powerful level of mine all through my profession. I knew that at some point I must dwell with out taking part in tennis. I do not really miss tennis.
I really feel actually at peace, perhaps as a result of I do know that my knee and my thoughts do not enable me to be on the pitch. I gave it every part I had and I really feel at peace now. I really like taking part in tennis with my youngsters. I at all times thought of what it might be prefer to play with out having the objective of enhancing.
Who cares if I miss a forehand anymore? I feel it was fairly straightforward to dive into life after tennis. I really do not have sufficient time within the day. I really like being surrounded by individuals and pals, and I am very sociable. I feel it helped that I wasn’t sitting alone in a room,” added Roger.
Roger Federer on which present stars he can see successful as many Grand Slams as he did:
“After all you’ve got the gamers that you simply assume are going to win a number of Slams… they’re going to be those carrying the sport and turn out to be the superstars of our sports activities, which some are already… pic.twitter.com/u3JRA1E0qa
— GQ Journal (@GQMagazine) March 14, 2024
On his rivals Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, Federer revealed what he instructed them when he retired.
“I watch highlights. It is laborious for me to observe an entire match as a result of I am too busy with the children and working round. I’ll have solely watched one complete sport final 12 months. However apart from that, I verify the scores day-after-day. I am shocked really. I assumed I would not care that a lot, however I feel I nonetheless know too many gamers and I need to see how they do.
I do know once they attain the ultimate, when Rafa returns or when Novak breaks one other report. However every part’s superb. I am not going to alter my plans and say, I’ve to see this sport. However after all I observe them and I prefer to see them, particularly Novak will get stronger and stronger and retains transferring ahead.
Clearly I used to be dissatisfied that Rafa hasn’t been in a position to play a lot recently. I hope he can do what he needs this summer time. Although he has retired from Doha and Indian Wells, I’m nonetheless assured that he can get again on the prepare. Once I retired to London I mentioned: It is proper that I am the primary to depart tennis.
I spent a while with out them across the Tour; now it is their flip. It would not have felt proper to see Murray or Nadal retire earlier than me. So I am comfortable I used to be the primary. I hope they will proceed for a very long time like me. I am proud and proud of what I achieved, I am going to always remember after I broke Pete Sampras’ report,” he analyzed.
Concerning future generations and the younger champions who’re taking the heart tennis stage at the moment, the Swiss Maestro highlighted how it isn’t proper to place an excessive amount of stress on them.
“I do not prefer to put stress on these gamers, as a result of Novak, Rafa and I did not initially set ourselves the objective of successful 20 Slams. Clearly there are gamers who you assume will win extra Slams.
Somebody has to win them and, after all, they are going to be those that will win the Slams and turn out to be the superstars of our sport. Which some are already doing: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and so forth. There’s a whole lot of curiosity proper now to see who’s subsequent.
So I feel within the subsequent two or three years we can have a clearer concept. I feel there are good gamers proper now, however I nonetheless assume they’re perfecting their sport to determine how one can beat the very best on their favourite surfaces,” mentioned Federer.