Federer: "I love playing tennis and seeing what I am still capable of doing"

Roger Federer has been, is, and will always be a blessing for tennis. The Swiss exudes love for this sport and does not hold back when it comes to expressing how he feels years after retiring. Just hours before his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, he offered a series of reflections that are worth analyzing.

A ceremony worthy of his legend. That is what is expected to take place tonight from Saturday to Sunday in Spain. At 00:30h in Spain, Roger Federer's induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame will be made official, but beforehand, the Swiss had time to give an interview to Today, to hold a long press conference before accredited media in Newport, and even to play on the grass of that venue, astonishing everyone with his talent and elegance.

Roger Federer spoke before entering the International Tennis Hall of Fame

A recognition unlike any title

"This is important. It has taken me many hours of playing tennis and many numbers to get here, but this honor is very high because I have achieved a lot. This is like the final hurrah, so I am very, very excited."

"I didn’t think too much about it when I was competing, but I would like for it to be that way. I would like future juniors to think: I want to be number one in the world, I want to enter the Hall of Fame."

"In Switzerland and Europe, we are not so accustomed to all this Hall of Fame stuff. It’s something American, but I think it’s really good. They preserve the history of this sport very well."

"It’s very different. Obviously, it’s a huge honor, one of the greatest we can achieve, I think, in this sport. But only when everything is over will I really be able to explain how I feel now."

"I am very excited and, of course, very proud that this is the year of my induction. It has been incredible to see how happy the fans, my friends, my colleagues, and everyone are for me."

The pressure and the road to the top

The Swiss also reflected on how he faced the various moments of his career and how he learned to cope with a pressure that ultimately became part of his identity as a tennis player.

"I think for me it’s the same in many ways, the rise. The ascent into the unknown, being number one in the world, Wimbledon champion, or winning in New York is very, very difficult."

"Then, maintaining it became a bit clearer for me because I knew what I needed to do. And then the unknown reappears: how do I come back? How do I get back on the horse after a loss? How do I return after a surgery?"

"I learned a lot through those moments. And perhaps that was also, obviously in part, what made me a Hall of Fame member."

"I felt like a winner from very early on. I liked being on center court. I preferred center court to court five or eighteen. I wanted to be that person."

"I think I embraced the pressure. I wanted that, although it has been nice to retire and not have to face that pressure ever again."

"When I became number one, I felt that the way people treated and looked at me changed. I realized that my life was going to change and not always for the better, but mostly for the better."

Federer rules out returning to competition

"No, I think it might have been different if my body were completely fit. If I woke up in the morning thinking: Oh my God, I’m still hitting the ball very well. My body and my knee have gone through five surgeries and that knee is tired. The knee deserves a rest."

"I played until I was almost 40 years old. I squeezed that lemon dry and knew that the time had come. I am not the type of person who retires and comes back. I think I explored the limits throughout my career. Now I am in the next chapter of my life. That chapter is closed and in a good way."

"I am very proud of my tennis career and now I am building my next career. I am enjoying that part and focusing on it."

Tennis continues to entertain Roger Federer

"Yes, very much. I don’t know if you saw the match on Tuesday, and some friends told me I was smiling during the points. I thought: okay, I think that’s a good thing. It means I’m really enjoying it."

"Now you have the option that when you step onto the court, it’s because you really want to be there. I still love to play. I love the feeling of the ball and the strings. I love seeing the shapes and everything I can produce and create with my racket."

"When I can play in front of people, I travel down memory lane and it’s like a friendly reminder. Those were the good times, and sometimes it’s nice to go back to them."

"I still enjoy playing tennis a lot. And, in fact, for me, it’s more fun to hit balls than to play points. I like to slice, do everything that has a bit of sensitivity. I think I don’t have to hit the ball with all my strength. That’s less fun."

Federer speaks about his legacy

"I hope I have represented the sport well, that they like to see me play or watch my best moments in a few years. But, above all, that perhaps I have helped steer the sport in the right direction, along with the leaders."

"I hope I have also helped the sport move forward. The prize money is much greater than when I started. Many more players can make a living."

"Also with the stadiums, trying to ensure that the standards are better in every area: for the media, for the players, physiotherapists, the whole ecosystem of our sport."

"When I see what Sinner and Alcaraz are doing currently, I think: what? I used to be there and do something similar on these courts, with that pressure."

"I am happy to have lived that life and I hope I have also inspired children and young people to pick up a tennis racket, practice sports, and go out there to do it. It has been a wonderful, wonderful journey. I am very happy and proud of it."

Roger Federer reveals how he will remain connected to tennis in the future

"With the Laver Cup, in the future, perhaps the role of captain is something I could definitely consider. Coaching now? No, because I am too busy and my children need all my attention. Also, I have too many projects and I love my time and my life with my wife."

"I don’t want to change that now, but never say never. If you want to have an impact with a player, I think you probably need to dedicate at least 20 to 25 weeks. That’s a big maybe, let’s be honest."

"With TV commentary, I don’t know. Now I feel very comfortable without doing it, but who knows. Maybe someday I’ll appear occasionally in a booth. I really don’t have plans for that."

"I would love to continue supporting juniors in some way and serve as a mentor in the future. I am always open to that."

"If it’s with Swiss Tennis or with academies like Rafa’s or others, if they need my help, I’m always open to those calls. I would like to give something back to the sport."

The final of the 2017 Australian Open against Nadal

"It was an incredible match. One that I didn’t think I had in me at that moment, especially after coming back from 3-1 down and with all the difficulties I had against Rafa."

"The whole tournament was also incredible. I played amazing tennis and was able to hit the ball very early. I think it shows that the work in training pays off, because I had two and a half months of incredible training at the end of 2016, something we usually don’t have."

"All of that paid off in that incredible comeback tournament, which was a dream come true. It’s among the best matches and tournaments of my entire career. The point I played at the end of the fifth set was the best point of all time. Of course it was. And it was necessary."

How he views the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry

"I don’t know if they will reach the levels of success that we had. Time will tell the numbers in the future. I don’t know. You have to play very well for a very long time."

"If today it seems they have no rivals, it will depend on new great rivals coming to the circuit, how hard it is for them to keep winning so often, and that they stay away from injuries. Life is unpredictable and tennis is tough."

Every appearance of Roger Federer before the press is an opportunity to enjoy one of the most iconic figures in the history of world sports and a legend that exudes aura and has elevated tennis for many years. He will continue to do so from another role, and that is the best news possible from the new member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Federer: "Me encanta jugar a tenis y ver lo que sigo siendo capaz de hacer"