ATP Finals: Roger Federer before the start in London: “Ready in the head, okay from the game”

The form comes back, the body holds and mentally Roger Federer is ready for the last tournament of the year anyway.

Somehow everyone agreed after the performance in Paris: It was Roger Federer’s right decision to serve in the French capital after the Basel victory. The players gradually moved in the right direction, and even though the semi-final against Novak Djokovic in the tiebreak of the decisive set was too much of a double and simple forehand mistake, the Federer form is taking the right direction.

Everything all right with the Maestro? Yep. “If I lose, I’m never happy. I’m not someone who says, “I played great, but I lost. I think: If I play great, I win,” Federer told the Schweizer Tages-Anzeiger before the start of the ATP Finals in London.

“Yes, it was a good match against Djokovic. But Paris doesn’t guarantee me anything for London. The conditions are different at every tournament. I’m just happy, I managed to get through Basel and Paris in one piece through these eight matches. That gives me confidence in my body. In my head, I’m ready for this last big tournament anyway. The game makes me feel okay. The pieces of the puzzle could come together in London. But I’ll have to fight for it.”

Paris had been a particular advantage in that he had played quite freely – a problem of more recent tournament planning with fewer stakes. “If you play as little as I do, it’s not so easy to see it so loosely. You don’t want to quit early, you play in the beginning rather not to lose than to win. I was more relaxed in Paris-Bercy.”

“Watch the ATP Finals in Germany now and be there live for only € 9,99 with the Sky Ticket until the end of December. Just cancel monthly.”

In London, Federer starts against Kei Nishikori, whom he beat in Basel and Paris, “mentally a certain advantage for me”, knows the third in the world rankings. But, “I’m sure he’ll know how to involve me in many backhand duels.”

Keyword backhand: After the injury-related time-out in 2016, this was considered a big plus point in the comeback, especially Rafael Nadal took Federer the great tactical advantage here, which the Spaniard played against the Swiss for years. This year, however, the “new” Federer backhand shines less often, the last time the 20-times Major-Champ often fell back on the slice. With reason, however, as he explained.

“Every opponent plays differently. Nadal often plays slower and higher on my backhand, so I go more into the ball. When someone else plays my backhand at more speed, hard and long, I can’t attack them like that.” So it depends on the conditions. On fast grass, like in Stuttgart and Halle, he used the slice more, in Shanghai he played only topspin, in Basel the slice was in the foreground again, “because I had the feeling, that’s how I win the tournament”.

The Melbourne final against Nadal last year “was a perfect match,” said Federer. “I felt so good on the backhand after six matches that I felt like I could pull it through. And that’s what I did later in Indian Wells and Miami.” Of course, he sometimes hopes to decide a backhand match. “But I know that my forehand, my serve and my footwork mostly lead me to success.”

“Watch the ATP Finals in Austria now and be there live for only € 9,99 with the Sky Ticket until the end of December. Just cancel monthly.”

The Federer fans got to see a previously unknown side the week before – Papa Roger playing tennis with his kids. If he surrendered, he would play with them, Federer said, but you wouldn’t force it.

The video was made in Switzerland, the day after the Djokovic match and before the departure to London. “The kids had tennis training anyway, so I walked by spontaneously and played with all four of them.”

In London itself there will be little time for this: Federer will enter the final tournament of the year at 21:00 CET on Sunday evening.

You can read the whole interview with Roger Federer here!