Roger Federer: 'The news totally shocked me and rocked my world'

In 2020, Swiss tennis player Roger Federer played only one tournament, right in Melbourne, where he reached the semifinals where he lost to Novak Djokovic, winner of the first Grand Slam of the year. After the Cape Town, South Africa exhibition match with Rafael Nadal in early February, Roger Federer underwent knee surgery instead of traveling to Dubai, planning to return in June to play tournaments on Halle grass. and the Wimbledon Grand Slam. Unfortunately, the pandemic and the pain the player was still feeling led him to opt for a new surgery in May, effectively forcing him to skip the rest of the season and prepare for a new start in 2021. Roger Federer recalls the hardships he faced during his teenage years in a recent video interview. The 20-time Grand Slam champion also paid tribute to his late coach Peter Carter in the video.

Federer on Peter Carter’s death 

Roger Federer chose to persevere instead of giving up, thus shaping his journey as a great champion of the game. The 39-year-old recalled that the period between 14 to 16 were the most influential years of his life given how he had to learn to be responsible for himself. “It was quite a rough journey,” the Swiss remarked. “I think those were the two most influential years of my life, from 14 to 16. Being away from home, persevering and having that responsibility to figure out the things, sort of on my own sometimes.” Roger Federer’s former coach - the late Peter Carter - is quite easily the most influential figure in the Swiss’ life. Federer recalled how Carter became his mentor when he was 16 and greatly influenced his style of play from then onwards. “When I was 16, Peter Carter joined the NTC and he became my mentor,” Federer said. “If I play the way I play today, it's probably because of Peter.” Unfortunately, Peter Carter tragically met his demise in a car accident in 2002. This news expectedly ‘shocked’ Federer and served as a ‘wake-up call’ for him to fully devote himself to the sport. "Obviously, the news totally shocked me and rocked my world,” Federer continued. “In some ways, it was truly a wake up call. This is when I guess I shifted gears and I was just like let's get serious about tennis, very serious." Despite telling fans he wanted to return for the 2021 Australian Open, doubt remained over whether the 39-year-old maestro would return after yet another setback. However, in a recent interview with Tennis.com, Federer joked he had been asked that question so many times it made him “angry”. “I feel like maybe there’s a little bit more left in me,” Federer said.

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