Roger Federer's 80 best quotes
Roger Federer is a famous Swiss tennis player born in 1981, in the city of Basel.. During his professional career he has been the winner of 20 Grand Slam titles and number one in the ATP ranking for a record time of 310 weeks, 237 of which were consecutive.
Together with the Mallorcan Rafael Nadal and the Serbian Novak Djokovic, make up the trio of tennis players that is currently the most successful and most loved by all the fans of this highly acclaimed sport. But for Federer, tennis is his second great hobby, because what really matters to him is his family and being able to spend time with all of them.
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Best famous quotes from Roger Federer, a unique tennis player
In the text that you will find below you will be able to discover 80 great phrases of Roger Federer where you can discover many things about him, both in his role as a tennis player and his own personality and reflections on sport and life.
1. When you do something better in life, you really don't want to give it up, and for me, it's tennis.
In order to reach the top practicing any sport, we must be absolutely in love with it.
2. I always believe that if you're stuck in a hole and maybe things aren't going well, you'll come out stronger. Everything in life is like that.
With patience and perseverance we will be able to get ahead in our lives, of that we can be sure.
3. I had to learn to be patient.
The patience It is a virtue that not all men possess.
4. I can't stay number 1 for fifty years, you know. We'll see what happens.
Time, in the end, makes a dent in any athlete, after all, we are all people.
5. I fear no one, but I respect everyone.
Without a doubt, this is a very good way to see our own rivals.
6. We can't always agree on everything.
Arguing with our loved ones is something we all do in our privacy.
7. My father said: if you become a tennis pro just make sure you are in the top hundred.
Our parents are often the ones who push us to improve, in the case of Roger Federer it was like that.
8. Now I am the Wimbledon champion, and I think that gives me even more confidence in the Olympic Games.
Reaching our goals is something that rewards us with enough self-esteem to keep moving forward.
9. I enjoy the position I have as a tennis player because I am responsible for each victory and each loss.
The tennis player is an athlete who depends solely and exclusively on himself.
10. I am a very positive thinker, and I think that is what helps me the most in difficult times.
Being positive is a quality that can help us in any situation we find ourselves in.
11. The serve, I think, is the most difficult, you know, in terms of coordination, because you have both arms going, and you have to throw it at the right time.
The serve is one of the most fundamental aspects in tennis, having a great serve is something only worthy of the best tennis players.
12. I did all the right things in many tournaments. But like I said, sometimes in sports it just goes the other way.
Sport is a world that only its practitioners understand, you have to be part of it to understand it one hundred percent.
13. I have always been very flexible. I don't care if I practice at nine in the morning or at 10 at night.
Being able to have a flexible schedule is something that not every professional can do, in order to do so there must be a great commitment on our part.
14. My heart is in South Africa, through my mother. My mother is from there.
As we see in this sentence, Federer has South African roots, something that not all his fans know.
15. My favorite shot will always be the forehand. It was always my favorite shot when I was young, so it's the one I've won all the points with.
Every great athlete knows perfectly well his strong points and his weakest points.
16. You have to put in hours because there is always something you can improve.
In order to achieve excellence we must be able to dedicate a large part of our time to it.
17. I'm a sucker for those old traditional places, and Rome is as good as it gets, especially with Italian food.
Rome is a wonderful city that, like anyone else, loves this great tennis player.
18. I've always been aware that the image you patiently build for an entire career can be ruined in a minute.
Trust is something that is hard to earn and can be lost in a single minute.
19. Obviously, the games and all those things take a toll on your body and so on. But as you get older, you are wiser and more experienced, you also know how to handle it.
The passing of the years takes its toll on everyone, but knowing ourselves can help us to know how to successfully carry out our particular physical change.
20. I try to work hard not to get angry and stay positive, and that's my biggest improvement in all those years.
Our attitude will be vital to be able to achieve victory, only a winning attitude will lead us towards it.
21. You have to put a lot of sacrifice and effort sometimes for little reward, but you have to know that if you make the right effort, the reward will come.
Every great reward entails a great effort on our part, be it physical or mental.
22. I always look long term.
Roger Federer is very wise to focus his own career on the long term, the greatest achievements take time to develop.
23. The only thing you can safely do is push luck on your side.
With our daily work, luck will tend to favor us, without it, it may very likely not be so.
24. I definitely feel there is room for improvement.
We all have room for improvement, it depends on our sacrifice to be able to correct it.
25. I'm on an incredible streak.
Being able to achieve a great run depends on a large number of factors, starting with ourselves and ending with our rivals.
26. One always expects a loss from time to time. So when it happens, why be disappointed if I win more than 90% of my matches?
We must not let a passing defeat depress us or diminish our morale, we can recover and come out greatly strengthened.
27. I have practiced a lot.
Practice is essential to be able to achieve excellence in the future.
28. I have two lives, and all the problems I may have, I feel like I drop them once I get on the court.
Any great athlete must leave his problems behind, at the moment of practicing the sport that he loves so much.
29. I'm not playing to prove anything to journalists. I'm playing for myself, for my fans, to make people happy.
We must practice the sport that fills us the most individually, the rest is really unimportant.
30. Success is a good thing because it always means that you have taken a step forward and it gives you a sense of pride, which in turn gives you confidence.
Success is a feeling that we all want to get to savor and that the great tennis player Roger Federer knows perfectly.
31. I always have in my mind that I can crush anyone. That's not a problem. But I think it's the same for most athletes. If you no longer believe you can win tournaments, then you can't.
Having our firm decision is a totally essential factor to be able to achieve victory in any sport that we practice.
32. Previously I always thought it was just tactics and technique, but every match has become almost mental and physical. I try to push myself to move well.
Tennis currently has a great physical aspect, tennis players like Rafa Nadal take full advantage of this factor and Federer knows that he cannot be left behind.
33. I always had a dream that once he made me No. 1 in the world, that if I had a child, I hoped to have it early enough that the child could watch me play.
For this tennis player, his children are the most important thing in his life, that his son saw him play was seen by him as a dream.
34. Oh my gosh, I don't think any player can expect or hope for a career of that many grand slam or title wins or being on top of the game that long.
Without a doubt, Federer's career is extremely prolific, let's hope he continues to surprise us for a long time.
35. I have to adapt the holidays to the tournaments, particularly the grand slams, in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York.
In order to perform at our best, we must also know how to take a well-deserved rest from time to time.
36. There is no way around hard work. Hug him.
Hard work is something ever present in the life of every achiever.
37. Sometimes I get different answers. Like, he didn't even know that about me. I know myself through different languages, actually.
As an international athlete, Federer must be able to understand and express himself in several languages.
38. Sometimes you have to accept that a guy played better that day than you.
We cannot be at the highest level every day of the year, we are not robots.
39. I used to get nervous, you know, if my parents would come to watch. And then I would get nervous if my friends would come and watch.
The opinion that our friends and family have about us can be something really important, we must take care of that opinion.
40. I don't mind the fans coming in a friendly and respectful way. That's part of the fun of being a top tennis player.
When we play at the highest level in any sport, the fans are almost always a direct consequence of our success.
41. Before, I guess, mom and dad were everything, but now, in my case, I had two new girls, and all of a sudden, they're completely dependent on me, and there's a third generation. It's a fun change all of a sudden. You have the babies, you have yourself, and then you have your parents.
Our parents and children always make up our toughest family nucleus, the most important thing in the life of any of us.
42. Clearly, when you win everything, it's fun. That doesn't necessarily mean you love the game more.
Our love for the sport can be most tested when we are defeated, in which case, that is when we really show our true dedication.
43. What I think I've been able to do well over the years is play through pain, play through trouble, play in all kinds of conditions.
Some days we wish we didn't have to play, but when we play at the highest level, we can't make those kinds of concessions.
44. Being a husband is as big a priority for me as being a father.
Our duty to our wife is something we must never abandon.
45. The service, he was too young and too small and…not powerful enough to have a good serve when he was young.
In order to have a good serve, our physical condition must be exceptional, this is something that not all tennis players have.
46. When I won in 2003, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would win Wimbledon and have my children see me lift the trophy.
You never know what life holds for you, we must be positive and fight for our dreams.
47. You know, I don't just play for the record books.
We must play for our love of the sport and our personal enjoyment.
48. Early in my career, I struggled with consistency.
Maintaining our highest level will allow us to fight at the highest levels of the sport.
49. You have to believe in the long-term plan you have, but you need the short-term goals to motivate and inspire you.
An advice that we can all adapt to our own life, small achievements motivate us to continue.
50. I always had the dream.
Not abandoning our dreams, however difficult they may be, will give us the opportunity in the future to be able to achieve them.
51. A man who wins is a man who believes he can.
If we do not have the hope of being able to win, indeed, we will not achieve victory.
52. I like playing against guys who have beaten me early in my career, trying to get even. I think it will be interesting to see how both of us have improved.
Self-improvement is something that can motivate us throughout our lives, we must take advantage of it.
53. I don't think we can afford to change our game just because of a particular opponent that we play.
Achieving a consistent playstyle is something that takes a long time to perfect, it's not something that can be changed overnight.
54. I don't feel like a loser, I feel good. I know it sounds strange, because people are used to me winning.
Keeping morale high even in defeats can help us digest them in a much better way.
55. For a Roland Garros final to be special, Rafa Nadal has to be there.
The rivalry between these two great tennis players is considered legendary, the most famous today.
56. I have not waited 27 years, because 27 years ago I had just been born. My parents never told me, if you don't win Roland Garros we take you to the orphanage?
Our parents will always support us no matter what we achieve, their faith in us is something that will never go away.
57. Once you go through all that, you're a different player.
The most difficult situations help us improve and strengthen us as individuals.
58. Getting this mark is nice, it's very good, although it doesn't make me win the tournament. It's just a new opportunity to go one step further and improve what I did last year.
Breaking the established records is something that Federer has been doing for a long time, but even so, this great player knows how to be cautious in his statements.
59. I don't think much has changed in his game since we played in the final in Bangkok (2005). It's not that he's disappointed but I thought he would have made some changes over the years. To me he's going to grind himself to death in the next few years if he keeps playing like this since he tends to wait a lot for the opponent's mistakes. It stops way behind the track and that means you have to run a lot. Today I gave him the errors that he needed to win but I think that in the distance, thinking about a 15-year career, you have to want to win a point more often than wait for your opponent to make mistakes. That's what has worked for me over the years, but who knows... maybe he surprises us all and plays well for 20 years.
Like the great tennis player that Federer is, he analyzes all the physical and technical aspects of his rival, always looking for a way to beat him.
60. It's very good what he did but... Is there a big difference between being 3 or 4 in the world? I don't think so. It is about being 1 or 2 and being the best ranked. That's what it's all about for Andy. I won the US Open and Rafa won the Australian Open. Murray unfortunately did not win the Masters.. Djokovic won it. He didn't win the major tournaments, although he was very solid in the Masters series.
In order to be number one, our consistency is a totally essential aspect in any sport we practice.
61. Under pressure I can see things very clearly.
When we are under great pressure, we must be totally focused in order to achieve victory.
62. I amaze myself at the incredible way I use my talent to win.
Having reached the highest levels in this sport is something that surprises even Federer himself.
63. Those who followed me when he was younger knew he had potential, but I don't think anyone thought he would dominate the game like that.
When we are young our potential can be enormous, but being able to exploit it to the fullest depends on our total dedication.
64. I can mix up my game too well for Andy to complicate me. Everyone has their own game and you can't change the way you play, that's something you're born with... If you want to be the best you have to have offensive skills.
The style of play of each tennis player is unique and personal, as Federer tells us well in this quote, it is something with which one is born.
65. Another of my goals will obviously be to be at Wimbledon and go for the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The gold medal is something that for now has eluded this fabulous tennis player.
66. I was 35 years old and people said that I could not recover. I knew that I had a meniscus complication and that I needed an operation and rehabilitation. I did rehab and came back to get injured again. It was there that I understood that he needed a longer rest period.
Knowing our body perfectly can allow us to be at the highest level for a relatively long time.
67. For me it would be fine. I remember that I was very happy when I reached the Grand Slam mark for the first time. For me, the special moment was breaking the record, not holding the record.
Each achievement that we achieve during our sports career will be lived by us to its fullest, we must learn to enjoy them.
68. I had never played like this before. In Switzerland I have been at a higher altitude but it definitely has not been to play tennis.
Playing at high altitude is something that complicates the game itself a lot, since the oxygen levels in the air are much lower.
69. I want to sleep a few days and spend with the family. Then I'll go back to training for the Australian Open.
Rest is a totally crucial aspect in the life of any elite athlete, knowing how to dose can allow us to be more successful.
70. At Wimbledon, for example, we rent several houses, for my coaches, parents, friends, my manager. Of course, the family sleeps all under the same roof.
The family always accompanies Roger Federer during his tournaments, being able to have them around must be something really hopeful for him.
71. I already had a back lock once from putting one of the children to bed.
In his role as a father, this tennis player has also been able to have the bad luck of getting injured on occasion.
72. The organization is essential and, above all, my wife, who is in charge.
Having a partner to help us in our mission and organize our lives must be something very positive for an elite athlete.
73. Actually, I live with two or three different watches. There's my schedule, then the girls' and then the boys'. And Mirka gives me a hand when needed.
Spending time with the family is something that all people want to do, in this case it could not be any exception.
74. I admired him so much that at times I felt a little uncomfortable about breaking his records. It's not something I wanted to do. That's the only way things happened. Of course I knew it was a huge moment for our sport. And I think those are the moments that one will remember.
Breaking the records of your childhood idols must be a truly beautiful thing to experience for any athlete.
75. And especially, after the knee injury (in 2016), everything that has happened since has been something extra. I could have won one more Slam, and I managed to win three more great titles.
All the titles we have won in our professional career must be considered equally meritorious, we must be grateful for what we have achieved.
76. Parents should give their children space to learn the sport on their own.
Having a father like Roger Federer can help us greatly in our sports career, being able to overcome him will depend exclusively on ourselves. Who wouldn't want to have a father like that?
77. I don't think that because I play tennis well I can do anything.
We must have our feet on the ground and be completely realistic, Federer has always had very clear ideas of him.
78. Music makes me happy, sports too, of course, but when I go to concerts is when I feel the happiest.
Music is something wonderful that we can all enjoy, in the life of this tennis player it has great relevance.
79. Having time away from everyone, spending time with my family, my parents, my best friends running on the beach, having a drink, relaxing... That is my perfect day.
Family is what Roger Federer loves the most, being able to spend time with them is his greatest personal pleasure.
80. But I do believe that apart from them I would have had a good career when I realized that I could unlock my potential through hard work.
Hard work is a constant in the life of this tennis player, we must learn from him and pursue our dreams with dedication.