Roger Federer: 'I think that shows perfectly how tennis has evolved'

Once again, 39-year-old Swiss champion Roger Federer dominates the Forbes ranking of the 10 highest paid tennis players in the world, between June 2019 and June 2020. His earnings totaled $ 106.3 million, a figure that also allowed him to be the highest paid sportsman in the world for the first time. Federer generated over 95% of his off-pitch income this year. The 20-time Grand Slam champion split from sneaker giant Nike in 2018 and signed a ten-year deal with Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo that promised $ 300 million whether he played tennis or not. Roger Federer recently did a video chat where he talked about the changes in the RF97 Pro Staff line of Wilson racquets. The Swiss also revealed why he has stuck with Wilson all these years.

Roger Federer decides to go back to the classic Wilson design

“The yellow, the red and the black have been the classic and iconic (colors),” Roger Federer said. “In the last decade or so I look at tennis and I look at all the pop colors and neons and all the crazy stuff that has come. And I thought how about we really go back to the basics. And it had to be a full-on black racquet, you know, with nothing to it,” he added. Federer began with an 85-inch head size on his racquets, and has gradually moved on to the 97-inch version. “It is a journey that I have really enjoyed,” Federer continued. “Starting from Pete Sampras and Stefan Edberg racquet - the 85. The iconic one that everyone knows about. Fast court tennis if you like. I started with that one too when I was 14 years old and I am still playing with the pro staff today. I have had some changes as you probably know,” Federer added. “The 85 to the 90 and then 97. I think that shows perfectly how tennis has evolved. How maybe surfaces have slowed down, how players defend better, rallies get longer. As I moved to the RF97 Autograph I think then I also went for more of a power racquet but yet didn't compromise on the quality of shots and feel for the balls," Federer concluded. Meanwhile, the Laver Cup 2022 will be played in London with the O2 as the official venue. Roger Federer, former Davis Cup player Jorge Paulo Lemann, and Tennis Australia united to create the Cup in 2017. The Laver Cup 2022 will be the fifth edition of the tournament, whose inaugural edition took place in Prague. “The British fans love their tennis and the Laver Cup is like nothing they have seen before. London has always held a special place in my heart and it’s going to be incredible to bring the Laver Cup to one of my favorite cities in the world,” said the 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer.

 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3i8KkX8