By Georges Homsi, Tennis.com
Q. Does defeat hurt more when it's so rare, because it's so rare?
ROGER FEDERER: Actually it hurts less, you know. Because you win so much, I think you can take a defeat easier. It's not like you're going to expect a defeat, but because of all the success I've had, a loss here or there will arrive. When it happens, all you can just make sure is that you try your best. And I used to have many matches in the past where I thought, came off court and I felt like, “This wasn't a fight. You could’ve fought more. You could’ve tried harder. You could’ve changed things.” You come off the court and you feel like you have regrets. Today, since let's say four, five years, I don't have those anymore, and this is why they're easier to accept. Because I think you have to be able to handle both things the same way.
Q. Some players are saying, Roger is not going to dominate anymore like he did. It's not like it used to be. Things have changed. Does that do something to you?
RF: Not really, you know. I mean, every player has their own opinions. It's no problem, you know. The only thing is the way probably the press asks the questions as well. They trick the players sometimes and ask them. “We have the feeling it's over. What do you think?” All a sudden, you can create your story you wanted it to be. For me, it's important to come back, you know, and play well now again. I don't think it's a fair statement either, you know, to say something like that, you know, after I just won the Masters, finished again No. 1 in the world and won three Grand Slams and only played two tournaments under bad circumstances in three‑and‑a‑half months and people start questioning if I'm still on top of my game. It's not fair, because I didn't get a chance to really prove myself yet. If I lose the next five matches in a row in the first round, then you can start talking like this, but not yet.
Q. Do you have the feeling that the threat from other players is bigger than ever before?
RF: Well, I think when I came up with the generation of Hewitt and Safin and Roddick and all these guys, I think that was sort of maybe a similar time to what it is today. I mean, that group was very, very strong as well, you know. We had plenty of No. 1s there. If you look back, all of them became No. 1 in the world at some stage, so you have the same thing here. Even though some guys have been strong to enter into the top 10, like maybe Berdych or Baghdatis, to stay there on a regular basis, there's only so many spots in top 10. Our generation’s still strong with Hewitt and Roddick and myself, and Safin unfortunately is struggling a little bit, but Blake is hanging in there, and many of the other guys are always ready for a surprise. For me it was only a matter of time until the juniors will really arrive, and it seems like it's happened really since a year or so.
Q. A guy like Djokovic says, I want his spot. I want the No. 1. Before people used to say, I want to be No. 2 or No. 3, because these guys are untouchable. Does that motivate you?
RF: No, I mean I think Rafa has always wanted to be No. 1 in the world as well. Maybe Novak is just speaking a little bit more loudly about it, you know. He's maybe got that sort of aura around him that people, whatever he says, pick it up in a more aggressive way, I think. Rafa’s always been very down to earth, very low key and this is why it doesn't come across that bad, but he wants it as bad as Novak, for sure.
Q. Go back to when you discovered you had had mono. At that point, it was probably gone. Was that a real relief, say, okay, now I know what I had?
RF: Well, the thing was, I got so severely sick three times that I was like, this is incredible, you know. I'm never sick. I haven't been sick basically the last 10 years, and all of a sudden three times in six weeks. The first time around I was not too worried about it. I just though, Okay, everybody can get sick for few days and you get over it. Second time was before Australian Open, so I went to emergency to check everything out. Then the third time I really thought this is strange, because now I thought it was food poisoning. I ate very healthy, I paid even more attention to everything I did, and I got sick again. When I found out what it was, I was like, “Okay, wow, I heard of people having it. I know it can take a while,” but they told me that I was already towards the end and I had a quite severe mono. This is what sort of made me really, not worried, but I was like, “Wow, how could I then play the Australian Open at all?” Because probably if people would have known, and doctors, maybe they would have told me not to play, you know. So this is sort of what was my biggest scare, a little bit. When I did the next test back in Dubai and they told me actually I was over it, building antibodies and everything, this is then when I felt like, “Okay, I'm fine again because I'm practicing well again.” I just had lack of practice, and that's what my biggest problem was. But that's not a real problem, because most important is health, you know, before everything.
Q. Do you deal with defeat differently than you did five years ago?
RF: Yeah, sure. I was disappointed when I lost in earlier days. I used to cry a lot. I don't know if you remember me, but I was a very sort of a sad person, a very upset person. So it sort of worked me a little bit, you know, just being perfectionist in a way, wanting to win so badly that I would almost ruin my day or my week. And then I used to see other players who would get so, so disappointed or upset. Sometimes they wouldn't speak for a week after. I was like, that's not the way to do it. You know, this is supposed to be fun and this is a dream come true for every player to play on the tour and be challenging the best in the world. So I started to relax a little bit, and I said, “As long as I give everything on the court, that's all I can do.” And once the match is over, you know, a different life sort of starts. This is how I see it now and it’s much better on my mind, absolutely.
Q. What's your first memory of defeat? Maybe juniors, maybe anything that stuck to your mind?
RF: It's hard to say. You know, I mean, I had—I guess the one that really marked me was I think the Squillari match I lost in Hamburg back in 2001. I was upset. I lost 6‑4, 6‑4. Played okay, you know. I just then decided, look, you know what? I cannot continue being like a—acting like some idiot on the court. Just always screaming, throwing my racquet, commentating every shot, just being so emotional. I have to relax a little bit. This is when I then told myself, I have to sort of relax a little bit. Played quarters in Paris for my first time, played quarters in Wimbledon beating Pete. This was really a moment for me when I realized, I have to change. But then the whole change kind of thing took me much, much longer. It was just a switch that I changed, but then it took me most of the year, almost one‑and‑a‑half years, to adapt. But that was sort of a big match for me. And then also the junior U.S. Open final in '98 when I lost to Nalbandian. I went into the match almost being happy with my result already because I had to really battle to get to the finals beating Jerome Haenel and Pless in really tough matches. Got to the finals and was like, “Oh, this is great. I'm just happy.” And then I lost to Nalbandian and I wasn't even upset. I was like, that's not Federer. Federer, he gets upset when he loses, especially when he's 18 years old, you know, 17. This is this also when I then told myself I have to work much, much harder, on my attitude.
Q. And your first significant memory of victory, first one?
RF: First one, big ones were junior Wimbledon, Orange Bowl, and it goes on. I guess first title back in Milan, obviously the Wimbledon win against Pete. But then also I was going to say Davis Cup back in Basel against the Americans. I think it was the first time I ever cried after a match I won, just because of the exhaustion. I won singles, doubles and singles against Americans. It was a big deal. Sort of went like this in phases and phases, and then I guess, you know, sort of my first—I think Hamburg was huge, too, back in 2002. First clay court tournament title. Also then I cried just because I could not—the shock almost. I played in Rome and was so disappointed, I lost in the first round against Gaudenzi, hanging out with Safin and I was like, “I just wish I didn't have to go to Hamburg next week. Can we not skip it and go to Paris?” Next thing we know we're playing each other in the final in Hamburg. It was quite ironic.
Q. Do you still feel you have anything to prove to yourself or to others?
RF: Not to others, really. I think it's more about, not keeping people happy, but more like the fans. I want to show the fans, really, you know, they pay tickets, I'm there to perform, I’m there to entertain. I want to do well for myself, I want to do well for my team who gives its best every day. This is sort of how I see things. Prove to myself that I'm the best, yes. Prove that I want to become part of history in a big way, yes. And this is sort of what I'm looking at. History really is motivating me in a great deal now, actually. I always thought it’s going to put extra pressure on me, playing for history, playing against young guys, playing for myself, the whole thing. But it's become actually the pleasure ride for me, being part of playing for history. It's something very special for me.
Q. You're still very young. Still, do you feel like your body is trying to react differently as a few years ago, whereas after practice it gets tired easier?
RF: Honestly, not in a big way. I think important as an athlete, I think it's to understand your body, how it reacts and how it feels before and after competition and what can happen, what is normal, what is abnormal. So I think this is also way of experience, you know. When you have a lot of muscle pain and you don't understand why you have it, you don't know that it's normal. Sometimes it's normal that you have muscle pain, depending on what you do. And I know exactly what I need to get ready for matches, I know what to treat to feel better, and this is, I think, is a big secret.
Q. Can you talk about the experience and the excitement of the Olympics?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, Olympics is different, because you feel like it's Game Switzerland and not Game Federer. And playing under the flag, it's always a special feeling for me. The Olympic Games being every four years creates extra pressure, it always creates a big juggle in the calendar. Right away it makes it a big priority because of that. And, you know, for me, having met Mirka at the Sydney Olympics, having carried the flag back in Athens in '04, I have had some of the most incredible experiences of my life at the Olympic Games. This is why I’ll always play it as long as I can and I hope I’m going to do well in Beijing.
Q. A lot of players put it behind the Slams. It seems like you almost put it in front.
ROGER FEDERER: It's a tough call. I think it's the same thing for me. Depends, you know. I think it's—it's as big. Let's just put it that way. Some—it depends what you have achieved so far in your career. Because I have won so many Grand Slams, the Olympic Games becomes much, much more important to me than maybe for other players.
Q. What has it been like to get to know Pete Sampras?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't know how you saw Pete and how much you knew him. But for me, I kind of just missed him. He was sort of a ghost on tour for me, you know. Too high, too good to talk to. Sort of, too much respect. And he was gone before I knew it. That was a bit unfortunate. That's why I really enjoyed actually playing against Agassi for so long. So getting to meet Pete, it was above actually playing against him, because I had the pleasure of playing him once at Wimbledon. It was a lot of fun. We had a great time together, I would do it for sure again if the chance comes about. So we'll see if we can do one more exo. I think we got maybe one more exo left in us. Yeah, I mean, he might come out here. So we'll hang around again. We're in contact, and it's nice to sort of have gotten to know him, somebody I admire so much.
Q. Do you feel any bitterness in him that you might break his record?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I think it's in a healthy way, really. I think he would be happy for me. Obviously it's hard for him to maybe let go of those records, but I'm not there yet, you know, so I still have some way to go. I know I have a lot of time, but you never know. That's why I really hope I can make it.
SOURCE: MSNBC
