Roger Federer believes tennis is in a secure place regardless of the 20-time Grand Slam champion harbouring a number of gripes in regards to the trendy recreation.
The 43-year-old is in Berlin for the Laver Cup – the Ryder Cup of tennis – the place Workforce Europe will conflict in opposition to Workforce World.
With world No 1 Jannik Sinner and Spanish celebrity Carlos Alcaraz cleansing up the Grand Slams this 12 months, the Swiss nice, who introduced his departure from the game in 2022, admits gamers have gotten extra “fearless” of their method because of the higher reward.
“The guys and also the ladies are going to start hitting bigger forehands and backhands, be more fearless because they realise the reward is there,” Federer instructed a information convention in Berlin.
“The perfect movers are the perfect gamers and you may see that. The mentally fittest, bodily strongest and quickest are the perfect gamers.
“It isn’t a lot about method any extra. I’ve bought fooled sufficient within the final 10, 15, 20 years the place I believe, ‘I am unsure about this system’ however with racket know-how and string know-how you possibly can iron these issues out and as long as you hit laborious and good by way of the ball, the whole lot is feasible in tennis to be sincere.
“The sport is the place it was, however only a step increased. I all the time really feel prefer it retains on going up. Maybe possibly only a lack of variation however that is as a result of we have now all double-handers lately and so they do not use the slice as a lot.
“Naturally, we don’t see as many drop shots. Alcaraz and [Daniil] Medvedev try to add it to their game, which I think is a great play but you need to train it a lot – the transition game.
“For essentially the most half, I get pleasure from watching tennis nonetheless immediately and it is all the time going to be in a secure place as a result of tennis is a superb sport.”
Can Djokovic make it 25 in 2025?
Novak Djokovic targets historical past in 2025
Waiting for 2025, Federer sees Novak Djokovic, who accomplished his profession Grand Slam by profitable singles gold on the Paris Olympics, within the dialog on the Australian Open because the Serbian targets a record-breaking 25 Grand Slams in 2025.
“Novak, winning the Olympics and playing somewhat let’s say a full season – he didn’t bow out because of injuries, he chose to play less which is normal when you get a bit older,” the eight-time Wimbledon champion mentioned.
“I feel like he has chances moving forward.
“I look ahead to Australia which is the subsequent Slam. I believe he is positively going to be one of many favourites together with Sinner and Alvarez.
“I think the Australian Open story will be a very cool one to follow.”
What’s occurred to the one-handed backhand?
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Have a look again at Federer’s best-ever backhand pictures on the ATP excursions through the years
Federer, who possessed one of the crucial easy and stylish one-handed backhands of a technology, additionally bemoaned the demise of the distinctive shot on the prime of the lads’s recreation.
Requested what might be performed, the Swiss joked: “Tie one hand behind the back and play with one hand.”
He then provided his opinion, saying: “I guess a lot of it comes from coaching. Two things: It would be great to have world No 1 and world No 2 with the one-hander, which we don’t have right now so that’s not going to inspire the generation of playing with the one-hander.
“Juniors are likely to look in the direction of the perfect gamers on the earth and when you see the double-hander you then suppose that’s the manner transferring ahead regardless that it may not be after which I simply suppose it is the coaches around the globe who may realise some gamers play higher with a one-hander slightly than a two-hander.
“Do you ever take your hand off the double-hander? That’s the question. The coach needs to know and the player needs to have the urge to try it out like I did.
“I do suppose for positive the one-handed backhand nonetheless has an area within the trendy recreation. In fact, you possibly can struggle a lot extra with the double-hander on the return and in defence, whereas possibly the one-hander could be a lot harder.
“What I’m also seeing nowadays is double-handed players have a much better slice as well which I feel was not always the case 20 years ago when I came on Tour.
“Be attention-grabbing to see. Be unhappy to see much less and fewer one-handers.”
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Highlights of the ultimate of the Monte-Carlo Masters as Stefanos Tsitsipas took on Casper Ruud
What’s developing on Sky Sports activities Tennis in September?
- Japan Open – ATP 500 (September 25-October 1)
- China Open – ATP 500 (September 26-October 2)
- China Open – WTA 1000 (September 25-October 6 – with Emma Raducanu in motion)
Sky Sports activities+ has formally launched and can be built-in into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities clients entry to over 50 per cent extra dwell sport this 12 months at no additional value. Discover out extra right here.
