ATP: Federer: “Without fans I would have resigned six years ago”

In an interview Roger Federer highlighted an important factor for his long career. His supporters had been a great incentive not to hang up his tennis racket prematurely.

“My fans have always been important to me, because wherever I play, they make me feel at home,” Federer told Style Magazine. “They help me through bitter defeats, and they are one of the reasons why I still play. Without them, I probably would have run off six years ago.”

Another reason for his long career is his mental strength, which he had to train hard at a young age. “At the age of 16, 17, I worked with a mental coach, because I was noticed for my extremely bad behaviour,” said Federer.

“I’m happy to have gotten away from it.” The coach tried to dissuade him from destroying clubs, commenting on his own points and complaining on the court. “But at the end of the day, I had to see for myself how I could make a difference. It’s important to learn from mistakes, because defeats usually teach you more than victories.”

After his bitter quarter-final defeat in Wimbledon against Kevin Anderson when he could not use a match point, Federer will return to the ATP Masters in Cincinnati. He misses the Rogers Cup in Canada.