TENNIS US OPEN 2014 – 26th of August 2014. R. Federer d. M. Matosevic 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. An interview with Roger Federer
Q. Michael Jordan said he loved the way you moved out there on court, you were so smooth. What are your thoughts about hearing a comment like that from Jordan?
ROGER FEDERER: It’s nice. I didn’t know he said something. I mean, number one, I’m just so happy that he came into the world of tennis a little bit, you know, got to see some tennis, that it was me, sort of being the character in the whole show, you know, was kind of cool with the collaborations of the shoes, which is very special to me I must say. He was one of the smoothest movers out there. So for him to give me that compliment means a lot. Meeting him yesterday for the first time was a big deal for me. It was a special sort of last 24 hour plus.
Q. What impressed you the most about him? Can you share about what the two of you had to say to each other?
ROGER FEDERER: I think it’s what you said, his longevity, the way he made it look easy, his will to win, wanting to be the best, delivering under pressure, being a superstar in a team sport, carrying his team for so many years. There’s so many things that he did well and represented the game really nicely, I thought. That’s why he also became my idol. And then, yeah, I mean, I guess he wanted to know some things about tennis, you know, how I prepare, all these things, how much I play, where I go next. Yeah, these kind of things, you exchange each other’s ideas about your respective sports and that’s kind of what you talk about.
Q. Compared to last year, you’re serving four miles per hour faster on the first and second serve. Do you think that’s sort of the key to your success on hard courts?
ROGER FEDERER: I mean, part of it. I mean, just serving is not going to win the point every time. You have to back it up. It’s how you back up especially your second serve, I think, that is key and crucial in the matches against the best players. I definitely feel like I’m serving better overall with the new racquet. I think it’s definitely helped me in this regard. I do feel easier power. I’ve never heard the stat before, but I guess it also depends how much you’re going to slice or kick or if you go big more often or not. I think tonight I tried to go bigger because I tried to hit through the wind. No, I think I’ve definitely had a very consistent, solid serving year as well, whereas last year, because of the circumstances, I just couldn’t do it.
Q. I’d like to ask you about Wimbledon. The last point, I turned off the TV and promised myself not to watch any match again.
ROGER FEDERER: But here you are. What are you doing here?
Q. Had you lost in the first set, I would feel much better. Would you prefer to lose in four sets, knowing you had no chance, or do you prefer the way it was?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, even if I would have lost in four, I don’t feel like I had no chance. I was close. The match was close. Even if it would have ended in four, the press would have made it sound like, Yeah, somewhat routine. But it wasn’t if you would have asked him and me. I prefer it to go five and know I was a breakpoint away, potentially one point away maybe, of rallying, putting myself in the driver’s seat in the fifth. But I got over it quickly this time. That’s why it was okay the way it was. I just didn’t win the match.
Q. You said you’re a big Jordan fan. Did you actually have a Jordan jersey? Were you a Chicago Bulls fan or just a Jordan supporter?
ROGER FEDERER: He was just my hero of all sports. That’s what he was for me growing up. Besides Edberg and Becker being my tennis idols, I had Jordan as my all sports idol. I don’t remember having a Jordan jersey, as such, really. I just remember when I was younger, in Germany it was really big on the German TV stations. I think every Sunday they had unbelievable big NBA highlights. That’s where I saw him doing all his moves. I wasn’t necessarily a Chicago Bulls fan or anything like that. It’s just I was into him, into like the incredible athlete, you know, just being that guy who was carrying basketball at the time. So I guess that’s what inspired me.
Q. Michael said he felt there was a real similarity between basketball and tennis, footwork, athleticism. Could you talk about what your thoughts are on comparing the two sports.
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I think in terms of movement it is actually quite similar. You have to go side to side, move forwards, backwards, be able to stop on a dime, redirect. I think maybe we don’t jump as much, but we slide more, I guess. It’s more extreme side to side. So, yeah, it’s very similar in this regard. We can relate to one another. They’re just all bigger and stronger than us. I guess we need more endurance overall, where they need a lot of explosivity and all that. There are some changes there, but still, at the end of the day, I think we can really relate to one another. That’s also, I guess, one of the reasons I really enjoy basketball. It’s a fun game to play. All you need is a ball. It’s like soccer a little bit. It’s very easy to play with friends and all that stuff. I enjoyed always playing myself.
Q. How is your jump shot?
ROGER FEDERER: Not great. It’s okay. Looks good, but results are not the best.
Q. I don’t know how superstitious you are, but if you meet any Australian player during the US Open, you always reach the final.
ROGER FEDERER: There you go. Perfect (smiling).
