The emotion of Federer and Nadal on the day of the Swiss retirement (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Roger Federer has been a retired tennis player for a year, however, his mark is and will be indelible in the world of sport. In an interview with the ATP podcast from Shanghai, where he was honored, he told what his new life is like, which includes a routine to avoid losing physical condition. “I would like to play exhibitions, so I try to stay fit. I try to go to the gym four times a week. At home I installed some machines that I got the week after the Laver Cup in London. It was like after my race I finally had a gym. I don’t play tennis anymore, so I have to take care of myself at meals,” he commented.
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A professional for 25 years, winner of 103 ATP events (20 Grand Slams) and one of the pieces of the Big Three, the dynasty he formed with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic that dominated the discipline for two decades, today he is a privileged spectator, but a spectator finally. Do you perhaps miss the adrenaline of pure hierarchy clashes with the Spanish, for example?
“I don’t miss playing against Nadal. I’m quite happy about that and also about not having to play one of those difficult games against one of the greats. I’ve had so many moments like that and I’m glad they don’t happen more,” he surprised him by expressing his stress-free comfort.
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“I don’t know if we are so different with Rafa. I am very relaxed on and off the court, while he has incredible intensity. He was like a tiger in a cage, he walks around and there are always things for him to do. “You could always tell that he had a game on his mind,” he added regarding the Manacorí.
With the Swiss retired and Nadal recovering from a streak of injuries that would return him to the circuit in 2024, probably for a farewell season, the one who burst in to battle Djokovic (top winner in Majors with 22) was another Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz. Federer pointed it out as a reality.
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“Beating Novak in the Wimbledon final is no joke. Everything he’s accomplishing is fantastic and he didn’t need to prove anything, but that game will be an asterisk on his resume. Awesome. Carlos is doing very well. “He has a great game and an incredible future ahead of him,” he praised him.
Which of the members of the Big Three are you most similar to? “On the right side, I see Rafa-style power, although he has a technique more similar to mine in that shot. He also has defensive skills that rival Djokovic’s, although Novak’s are obviously on another level,” he reflected. “Maybe he has a combination, but it wouldn’t be fair to him. Carlos is Carlos, like Novak is Novak or Rafa is Rafa. I don’t like comparisons,” he concluded.
2023-10-16 23:43:45
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