Former winner of Roland-Garros in 1976, and now 71 years old, Italian Adriano Panatta spoke directly to Roger Federer in a letter written for the Sports Gazette Switzerland’s 40th birthday. And according to him, Roger, in his style, can never be equaled. Extracts.
“Dear Roger, first of all, congratulations on your 40e birthday. I don’t remember exactly when I first saw you play, but I remember the impression you made on me: you were little more than a boy, but you had something different from the others. Maybe it was the elegance of your shots, the grace of your movements: you were special. And in fact – it was not difficult to predict – you have become what you have become: a unique, inimitable player, perhaps the strongest, certainly the best. ”
“And the reason I say this is simple: Federer, you do things that other people don’t. I’m not saying that the other two greats aren’t great champions: Nadal’s will to fight or Djokovic’s defense are exceptional, but Roger, even when he loses, always pulls those two or three shots that you don’t. can not do. […] A lot of people ask me if there will be players like Federer in the future. I do not think so. Also because the prototype of the modern player is different. Roger has to stop when he wants to, without being conditioned. There will always be Federer, the one who plays like no other. “
Posted on Monday, August 9, 2021 at 5:50 PM
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