'Roger Federer has a tremendous presence', says writer

Roger Federer is without a doubt one of the most popular and loved figures in modern sport. The Swiss phenomenon is adored not only by millions of tennis fans around the world, but also by colleagues and figures who have little to do with our discipline. The former world number 1 has been absent from the circuit for over a year due to a double operation on his right knee, which forced him to skip most of last season. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has chosen to skip the Australian Open for the first time in the last 23 editions, also prompted by the strict measures imposed by the local government. The 39-year-old from Basel will make his return to the field in Doha in the second week of March, before heading to Dubai for the traditional ATP 500. Meanwhile, Dave Seminara, a well-known writer and former diplomat based in Florida, has written a book entitled 'Footsteps of Federer: A Fan's Pilgrimage Across 7 Swiss Cantons in 10 Acts', due out early next month. In an interview granted to 'Perfect Tennis', Seminara analyzed Federer's impact on sport in general. The last official match played by King Roger dates back to the semi-final of the Australian Open 2020, lost in three sets to Novak Djokovic. The Swiss then traveled to South Africa to play a historic performance with his friend and eternal rival Rafael Nadal, setting the new spectator record for a tennis match. His big goals this year will be Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics in the summer.

Seminara on Roger Federer

"Roger Federer has a tremendous presence," Dave Seminara said. "When he walks into the room, there’s a hush. Everyone suddenly stops looking at their phones… even reporters who have been covering tennis for 20, 30 years with (Pete) Sampras and (Andre) Agassi turn quiet." Tennis has begun on a high note in the 2021 season with the successful completion of the Australian Open 2021. Although the coronavirus pandemic is still not over yet, stadiums witnessed a lot of fans during the Grand Slam in Melbourne. There are even speculations that one might watch huge crowds at the US Open, French Open, and at the Wimbledon Championships 2021. Recently, the management of the Wimbledon Championships 2021 came up with some good news for fans. The organizers are looking forward to hosting fans in stadiums during the Grand Slam despite the coronavirus pandemic. This is really some positive news, especially when the UK is still recovering from the deadly virus. The UK government has announced a four-step plan in order to organize the tournament successfully.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2NsGeAd