'Roger Federer's legacy goes way beyond', says former Top 5

The delicate situation connected to the global pandemic and the imperfect condition of his knee led Roger Federer to give up the Australian Open for the first time in the last 23 editions. The Swiss phenomenon, who played his last official match last year in Melbourne, did not specify the date of his return to the field. According to rumors circulating in recent weeks, the former world number 1 could make his return to one of the fast-paced tournaments after the Happy Slam, perhaps in Rotterdam or Dubai in March. Thanks to the new ranking system, the 20-time Grand Slam champion was able to keep a place in the Top 5. The 39-year-old from Basel has repeatedly reiterated that his main goals will be Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics, in search of that gold medal in singular which is still missing from its incomparable showcase. Speaking on Allistair McCaw's 'What It Takes' podcast, his coach Ivan Ljubicic praised the mental strength of the Swiss legend.

Ljubicic on Roger Federer

“On the court, Roger Federer's intelligent, and off the court, he is intelligent,” Ivan Ljubicic said. “I think his brain is great, it's just underrated. I mean, he is a genius on the court and off the court, that's what makes him the greatest, in my opinion. You know, we don't know how many Slams or weeks at number one are these that I mean how you know how these careers gonna look like at the end of his career, but you know, his legacy goes way beyond.” Roger Federer may not have the physical strength of Rafael Nadal or the clockwork-like precision of Novak Djokovic, but his understanding of the game is second to none. Experts have often marveled at how the Swiss knows exactly what shot to hit when, while also frequently commending his incredible anticipation skills. Ivan Ljubicic also mentioned how youngsters could easily learn and grow as tennis players. He advised them to face more and more opponents. “When I see some kids, juniors that I’m interested in, I want to play with them. This is the best way to understand about the play. You know, watching from the side gives you the least amount of information, watching from behind the court gives you a lot, watching from within the court, inside the court gives you even more, but playing against the player gives you the most,” added the former World number 3.

 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/35YDdgR