Roger Federer Quotes

The serve, I think, is the most difficult, you know, in terms of coordination, because you got the two arms going, and you got to toss it up at the right time so.

I am extremely proud and honoured to have beaten Pete's record as he was my childhood hero and I have always looked up to him.

Being down match point, it's just not fun.

I always believe if you're stuck in a hole and maybe things aren't going well you will come out stronger. Everything in life is this way.

You've never seen me dance, have you?

The problem is not the claycourt. The problem is, you know, rather something to do with the conditions on center court. Because I've played well on Suzanne Lenglen, on the other courts. But the Chatrier court is really, really big, and I just haven't had enough play on it. Maybe I come here next year and play a week on this court, if I can, if the French Federation lets me. We'll see. I've been playing well in other tournaments, in Davis Cup on clay. So for me it's not the surface, it's rather maybe the court.

The crowds are very important for tennis. It makes you play better, but it can also make you nervous and that's the beauty of it.

I think it's very hard for coaches to work with me. They'll no doubt have a good CV afterwards, but at the same time they're under a lot of pressure.

I am now the Wimbledon champion, and I think that gives me even more confidence coming to the Olympics. And maybe in some ways, it maybe takes some pressure off the Olympics, because I already did win at Wimbledon this year.

I did all the right things in so many tournaments. But like I said, sometimes in sports it just goes the other way. Maybe you've already won so much that it evens it out a bit sometimes. I don't know.

I don't need to come back to Wimbledon every year because I can't live without it. I'd be totally cool without tennis.

I definitely need to use my chances when they come because definitely there wont be many.

The week before the (US Open) I gave a few interviews for CNN, USA Network, New York Times, USA Today and Sports Illustrated which had been arranged beforehand. The reason for giving these interviews is not only because working with the media is just part of the job, it is much more my desire to contribute to the promotion of tennis in the U.S.

Early in my career, I struggled with consistency, but I couldn't get more consistent than this year.

Before, I guess, mum and dad were everything, but now, in my case, I had two new girls and all of a sudden they're completely dependent on you and there's a third generation. It's a funny shift all of a sudden. You have the babies, you have yourself and then you have your parents.

Sometimes I am a different character in different languages. I have different enjoyment from them. Sometimes different answers come out of me. Like, I didn't even know that about me. I get to know myself through different languages, actually.

I have a great record against anybody right now, so it doesn't really matter who I play in the final. I'll be in there as the big favorite. But I play my best in the finals, in the important matches. That's why I'm number one. There's no secret ... I'm not overconfident, but very confident.

The nicer the point, the more
the better I feel, the more excited I get. But I never play that my opponent looks stupid. I think that is wrong. I have too much respect for every opponent I play.

I am very blessed to be able to play tennis, the sport that I love and very grateful for the opportunities to play in the finals of big events, when the season starts you are on the roll constantly and obliged to be committed to daily routines on and off the court.

I'm as patient a father as I am on the tennis court. It takes a lot for me to get really upset, but sometimes kids can get you really cross if they really keep bugging you.

You always want to win. That is why you play tennis, because you love the sport and try to be the best you can at it.

The serve, I was too young and too small and ... not enough powerful to have a good serve when I was young, so my forehand was always my signature shot. So I used to always run around my backhand, you know, use my forehand as much as I could, and so that's why I think it's my strength also today, you know.

I used to do a lot of video analysis early on, but more for pleasure and looking at my own technique.

My heart is in South Africa, through my mum. My mum being from here, me spending a lot of time here as well, I feel most connected to this part of the world.

I had set a goal with my team to try and get back to the top of the rankings, but I never thought with the depth in the game this year that I would have been able to get it back so quickly.

I never waited 27 years, because 27 years ago I was just born. My parents never told me, 'If you don't win Roland Garros we take you to the orphanage.

When I was 12 years old, I was just horrible. My parents were ashamed to watch my matches. I would play on a court at the local club and they would watch from the balcony. They would scream, 'Be quiet' to me and I would scream back, 'Go and have a drink. Leave me alone.' Then we would drive home in a very quiet car. No one speaking to each other.

I fear no one, but respect everyone.

I let the evening unfold. I'm the sort of guy who likes to sit in the chair and look at the wine glass.

To handle that stardom, the red carpets, the photo shoots, people all of a sudden recognizing you and following you in everyday life, it's a bit weird. It's strange, and it can have funny effects on you in terms of do you like it or don't you like it. Some people run away from it, some people embrace it; I found a good middle ground.

I never expected i, in the first place, when I started playing tennis, that I would ever carry the flag into the Olympic Stadium for an Olympic Games ... So for me that was a surprise and a huge honor in my life to be able to represent Switzerland.

I can walk around screaming, 'I have 17 Grand Slams. I have the record here or there.' When you can play for history and you do it, that's what is so really cool, is that you can then be compared to other greats or you've passed another great, even though it doesn't mean you're better than him. But it's just like that moment you've gone into the unknown where nobody else has ever been before.

The more I lose, the more they believe they can beat me. But believing is not enough, you still have to beat me.

When they [court announcers] say, 'This is the world No. 2,' it just doesn't sound right to me because either I'm No. 1 or I'm a grand slam champion. I'm not world No. 2. I just don't like the ring of it when I'm introduced on court because I've been up there for so, so long.

Success is a nice thing because it always means you've taken a step forward and it gives you a sense of pride, which in turn gives you confidence and experience-a positive circle, so to speak.

When I won in 2003, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would win Wimbledon and have my kids seeing me lift the trophy, so this is pretty surreal. And yeah, I was almost shocked in the moment that it all came together so nicely.

Being a husband is for me as big a priority as being a father.

I'm proud to be a symbol like the army knife or the mountains.

But so far I have the feeling that the chances are there to repeat last year's season.

I had a nice dinner. I let the evening unfold, flow. I like to sit in a chair with a wine glass. When I woke up, I thought, 'Why didn't I go to bed at 11?' I came back at 3 and went to bed at 5.

Early in my career, I had no consistency. Now I'm the most consistent player on the tour. It feels pretty good.

Maybe further down the road in my career, in a couple of years when I'm maybe not that fast any more around the court, then maybe it would be good to come to the net a little bit more often

This year I guess I decided in the bigger matches to take it more to my opponent instead of waiting a bit more for the mistakes. Yeah, this is I guess how you want to win Wimbledon, is by going after your shots, believing you can do it, and that's what I was able to do today.

I always knew I had something special.

I've always been aware that the image you patiently construct for an entire career can be ruined in a minute. It scares you a bit, but that's the way things are.

I enjoyed the position I was in as a tennis player. I was to blame when I lost. I was to blame when I won. And I really like that, because I played soccer a lot too, and I couldn't stand it when I had to blame it on the goalkeeper.

I was aware of how incredible the match was. Unfortunately there had to be a winner. From my point of view many left feeling sorry for me instead of being happy for Rafa. Which hurts.

I'm not the kind of guy who wakes up angry.

I have to fit holidays around tournaments, particularly the grand slams, in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York.

The one thing you can do for sure is push the luck on your side

You can't expect yourself to be already peaking like crazy in an exhibition tournament.

What I think I've been able to do well over the years is play with pain, play with problems, play in all sorts of conditions.

A man who wins, is a man who thinks he can.

I haven't had a cramp since '99. That was my only time, in Davis Cup, when I was panicky. I was young. I'm very proud of that. Never pulled out. Never had cramps. Never lost very much because of fitness, especially later on in my career where I knew I've put in the hard work. I've done that. I've been very fortunate and clever as well to understand how I need to work, when I need to work. So I'm very happy to have stayed injury free for so long. I hope I can still maintain a few good years on the tour. I really hope so.

I'm playing great tennis. I'm enjoying the tour, having fun with the fans off the court. I'm loving it now.

I don't mind fans coming up in a friendly, respectful way. That's all part of the fun of being a top tennis player. But if people take pictures without permission, particularly if my children are in the shot, I feel uncomfortable.

Once you reach a good level in tennis it fills you with a lot of motivation. I hope I can do it for a long time.

My dad said if you become a tennis professional just make sure you get into the top hundred, because you have to make a little bit of money. You make a living so you can pay your coaching and, you know, your travels.

We can't always agree on everything.

I love tennis! I've always felt like this because it is such a classy sport with a great, competitive flair to it.

No, I'm not (disappointed). There's no reason to be because I'm on an incredible run. You always expect a loss once in a while. So when it happens, why be disappointed if I win over 90% of my matches.

I have a very strong opinion. I'm absolutely against it. I'm against the challenge system. I'm for the way it is right now. Don't change that.

I always had the dream that, once I became No 1 in the world, that if I had a child I hoped I would have it early enough so the child can see me playing.

Every match I go into, I'm the huge favorite. I lose a set and it's, like, crazy.

One or two years ago, I didn't know who I was on court and I used to swear a lot. But now I've learned how to cope and can therefore win 10 matches in a row. I want to be remembered as a good player rather than an idiot on court.

I hope so. God, I've practiced so much that I-you don't want to be worse five years later. I feel I have a great game today. I know how hard it is to pull off those great shots, and I know how easy it is to miss, so I'm more aware of these things. But I'm so happy I'm at the age I am right now because I had such a great run and I know there's still more possible.

When I think of the Olympics I only think of good things. I think of what a great event it is and what it has done for me and my career, and changed my personal life, too.

You can be stubborn and successful or you can give it up a bit and change things around. For me it's important to have a bit of both.

Mentally, I'm not ever going to go away.

There is no way around the hard work. Embrace it.

I definitely feel there's room for improvement.

Sometimes you have to accept that a guy played better on the day than you.

For me, it's important that a fan can buy something that is related to me. Like in soccer, you buy a shirt and it's got somebody's name on the back. That's kind of a cool thing.

I've done so many interviews over the years in so many different languages. Radios. Papers. Magazines. There's always another interview to do. It's quite something, I have to say.

My favorite shot is always gonna be the forehand. It used to always be my favorite shot when I was young, so it's the one I've won all the points with.

I went to Phuket already, but would love to go to Chiang Mai one day.

When you're good at something, make that everything