Roger Federer: 'Matches against Rafael Nadal made me grow up'
In an interview Roger Federer recalled his special feelings during the prize ceremony following his 2017 Australian Open five-set final win over Rafael Nadal. The Swiss player said: "You stand there on the podium and it was a standing ovation going on. Everybody is listening, you could hear a pin drop, I learned from those matches and you feel like almost you grow up and you have more experience in life because of these matches. You start respecting each other more and more because in those moments it's so personal, it's so intense."
Federer also reflected on the concept of confidence: "As confident as we are, we need to have that confidence. we also need to know the other side, that it's always dangerous. You learn so much from the sport, from winning, from losing, trying to figure out and just being uncomfortable and trying to figure out how to through these moments."
On what makes a good player a champion, Nadal said: "I think that controlling time is what leads you to success. The greatest sportsmen of history have the mental capacity to see faster, think faster and make important decisions faster than others."
David Law, BBC commentator: "I remember seeing Nadal and his sleeveless shirts, his bulging biceps and then right next to him he'd got what looked like a prince, not a hair out of place."
Nadal and Federer faced each other 40 times so far.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/331qKpD
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