In the early stages of the US Open, Roger Federer sounded off about the state of his game, and the game in general:
On his work ethic: “It’s always been [important] for me. I have always worked really hard, [but] never really talked about it … I have put in the hard work [for] so many years, and that definitely keeps my base at a very high level.”
On his confidence: “My mind was with my [injured] back more than anything else. I’m happy that I’m playing well again. My confidence is back. Also the confidence is back in my movement.
On his brief experiment with a new, bigger racket: “[I decided] ‘I’ll go back to the racket I know, or the racquet I have won everything with … then we will look again at the situation after the US Open.'”
On how he feels these days compared to when he was younger: “[I] feel better today, believe it or not. When I was younger, I had incredible muscle pain, like I could hardly get out of bed, or all of a sudden the back was bothering me for a day or two, and then it [would] disappear the way it came. Today, you feel [the injury] coming, or it’s not there. [I’m] actually more comfortable today with [my] body than in the past, to be honest.”
On whether he still worries about his back: “Not anymore. At times I was playing [while the injury was] in the back of my mind, and that definitely affected my movement and [ability] to really focus [with a] point-for-point mentality.
On choosing a ball to serve with: Why do we look at three or four balls and just take the two? We are looking for the fuzziest ball. You leave it aside … [and] you probably take the best-looking ball for the first serve … It’s just a routine you go through. I try not to waste a lot of time doing it, to be honest, because it’s not rocket science out there … I think it’s always better to have faster balls out there because the surfaces have slowed down. I think if you have too slow of a ball it’s really hard then to see nice shots. [Tennis has] really become a game of movement, so it’s exciting nevertheless.
On Nadal’s hard court play: “I’m clearly very impressed, especially seeing him play really well on the quicker hard courts. It would be different if it was just Indian Wells and Miami where it’s very slow … He’s showed he’s someone to be reckoned with. There were a lot of question marks when he came back, [and some] people thought he was just going to play on the clay courts … He’s playing a full schedule, and he’s had an incredible season so far.”
On his passion for the game: “Clearly, when you win everything, it’s fun. That doesn’t necessarily mean you love the game more. You just winning, being on the front page, lifting trophies, doing comfortable press conferences. it’s nice … For me, I knew, winning or losing, practice court or match court, I love [the game] … I’m in a good spot right now. I want to enjoy it as long as it lasts.”
On the gluten-free diet: “Oh, no, I have extra gluten [laughs] … I’ve always been a healthy eater … I’ve seen some nutritionists from time to time, but nothing crazy or major, really.”
