Last year, tennis icon Roger Federer bid farewell to the sport, leaving millions of fans tear-eyed as they said goodbye to their beloved legend. While he remains associated with the sport after his retirement, now attending events as a guest, Federer reflected on the aspects of touring that he misses the most since retiring.
During an interview with the Eurosport, Federer confessed to secretly being the center of attention while acknowledging that it no longer holds the same importance.
Despite his contentment in retirement, he expressed missing the joyous faces of fans he had entertained throughout his career. Although he cherishes every moment of his time on the tour, he affirms his happiness in the current phase of retirement.
“Secretly, you like to be the center of attention, but at the same time, it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s good the way it is right now. Of course, I miss seeing the happy faces of people hopefully, I was able to entertain.”
-Roger Federer in an interview with Eurosport
Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, acknowledged the emotional tribute he received during his return to Wimbledon this year. The Swiss maestro, now accustomed to being in the spotlight as a spectator, mentioned the satisfaction of seeing happy faces in the crowd and being a source of entertainment for tennis enthusiasts.
His presence in the Royal Box alongside Kate Middleton triggered cheers and a standing ovation from the crowd, highlighting the deep affection fans continue to hold for him.
Novak Djokovic reveals struggles for recognition during Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s pinnacle
Novak Djokovic in a recent interview with David Walsh of The Times UK, discussed a wide variety of topics. Among the topics, was his mention of the moment when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal teamed up against him.
Novak Djokovic has had an impressive career so far, becoming the player with the most Grand Slam titles. He feels that he hasn’t received the same level of recognition as Federer and Nadal doesn’t have the same fan connection that the other two have built over the years.
It was Federer and Nadal who dominated the court before Djokovic emerged as a strong contender for Grand Slam titles, particularly in 2011 when he won three out of four major tournaments and was met with resistance from Federer and Nadal. In that year, Djokovic made an impact defeating both the players at the US Open.
“In the best sport rivalries, in all romantic novels, there are always two people, not three. It’s one of the reasons why I was an outsider. I don’t come from a Western country. I never had problems saying that I wanted to be No.1. A lot of people didn’t like that, including them[Roger and Rafa]. That’s why I was almost instantly judged and maybe not as liked.”
-Novak Djokovic in an interview wht Times Uk
Despite his great success in 2011, Federer and Nadal did not view him as an equal at the time, and he had to overcome their resistance to make his place in tennis history.
