Edberg recalls which keys he pressed to revolutionize Roger Federer's tennis
Taking advantage of Federer's induction this weekend into the Hall of Fame, several personalities close to the Swiss have been seen commenting on how they experienced their relationship with Roger.
And within that guest list, the figure of Stefan Edberg could not be missed. Besides being the childhood idol of Roger Federer, the Swede had the privilege of coaching him for two seasons. An experience he will never forget.
Sitting at the table of Tennis Channel, the former world number one looked back to reminisce about that special moment when Federer proposed he join his team. He thought it over, but it was an irresistible offer. It is true that they did not manage to win Grand Slam titles together, but it was the Swede who laid the foundation for what was to come. It is worth highlighting some statements from Edberg about everything that happened during those times.
Edberg remembers the day he accepted to coach Federer
“I definitely didn’t have any nightmares, but I did receive a call. I think Tony spoke with me maybe at Wimbledon. Then Roger called me quite late from Shanghai, or wherever he was playing, and asked if I wanted to help him by being part of his team. It was a bit of a shock, but at the same time, what a privilege that he asked me. I needed some time to think about it because it changes your life, especially with a family traveling. I never thought I would return to the tour as a coach, but I think Roger is such a special guy that I thought: if I can help him, why not try? We had a great week in Dubai, and then we started, and we were together for two years.”
This is how Stefan Edberg changed Roger Federer's tennis
“I think, first of all, he needed to make some changes. He was aware that he had to change some things. He changed his racket, which was important, to a more modern racket. I thought he needed to play a bit more offensively, perhaps move a little further up the court and take control of the points because it is difficult to beat Rafa and Novak from the baseline. I think he needed a bit of inspiration, a small change, and he is always looking to make changes to adapt to his game. Perhaps I was the right person at the right time.”
Edberg recalls the tactical variation he applied to Federer's game
“I think I wanted to change his game a bit. I pushed him to move forward on the court. Instead of being a meter behind the baseline, being on the line, perhaps taking the ball on the rise, approaching the net, and being a bit more aggressive. I think it worked quite well. It takes time to adapt, and I felt he still had some years left in him. He was still playing fantastic tennis. There were Rafa, Novak, and Andy Murray, and we knew it was going to be tough. He reached some finals and faced Novak in one of them, in one or two matches he could have won. But a few years later, he won some more Grand Slams, and it was fantastic to see.”
Who is behind Roger Federer's SABR?
“Let’s be clear: I had nothing to do with the SABR. I was as surprised as anyone when I saw him play it in Cincinnati. I think it was something fun he did in practice, and suddenly, I was watching the match at home and thought, ‘What is happening here?’. But it was fantastic that it happened because it was talked about for a long time and was something new for tennis. It was great to see, but as I said, I had nothing to do with that. It was entirely his doing.”
Edberg values Federer’s induction into the Hall of Fame
“This is huge for tennis and brings a new energy. Obviously, Roger deserves all the attention in the world. He has probably been the greatest ambassador for tennis for many generations. He has attracted different fans to the sport, and that makes everything very special. Now we are seeing Alcaraz and Sinner, who are also attracting many fans. I’m quite optimistic about the future of tennis. Although I thought the transition with the disappearance of Rafa and Roger would be complicated, thank God we still have Novak playing, which is incredible for me. And he is still there, with a small chance of winning his 25th Grand Slam.”
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Edberg recuerda qué teclas tocó para revolucionar el tenis de Roger Federer