'When you have to meet a player like Roger Federer...', says young star

The great tennis will start its season in 2021 in Australia. Already now, of course, the best bookmakers are making their predictions on the possible winners of one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world which, according to the latest news, could even slip one or two weeks ahead of the traditional date of mid-January. Currently the favorite, indeed, very favorite in the final victory can only be the Serbian Novak Djokovic. The number 1 in the world of the ATP ranking was also the winner of the last two editions of the tournament and in the last 10 years he has won it 7 times, leaving the victory to Stanislas Wawrinka in 2014 and two to Roger Federer on one occasion. , winner for two consecutive times in 2017 and 2018. Djokovic's first rival will naturally be Rafa Nadal, able this year, with his success at Roland Garros, to equal the record of 20 career Slams won by his long-time rival Roger Federer. On paper, the Swiss champion could potentially be one of the main antagonists to Djokovic's final victory, but for the almost 40-year-old it is not a good moment. The last official tournament played was the last edition of the Australian Open where he reached the semifinals and then was beaten by the Serbian. His return will be at the Australian tournament, but there is more than a doubt about Federer's competitiveness, especially given the recourse to a double surgery during this year. Meanwhile, Next Gen star Casper Ruud played Roger Federer in the 3rd round of the 2019 French Open, and he was extremely nervous before the match. According to Ruud, the Big 3 command a tremendous amount of respect from the players both on and off the court.

Ruud on his match against Roger Federer

Speaking in a TV interview with Skavlan, the 21-year-old recalled how his state of mind before facing Roger Federer was anything but calm. "I remember before I was going to play against Roger Federer, it was a bit difficult to sleep the night before," Casper Ruud said. "When you lie with your head on the pillow, thoughts come. Because when you have to meet a player like Federer, the pressure is great. It is the time of day (while sleeping) where I get to think most about what will happen the next day," he added. "So when you meet the one who is considered the greatest legend in your sport in history, it is clear that you get a little extra nervous. It was not as easy to fall asleep then."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/33tJMGS