Roger Federer believes tennis is in a secure place regardless of the 20-time Grand Slam champion harbouring a couple of gripes concerning the trendy sport.
The 43-year-old is in Berlin for the Laver Cup – the Ryder Cup of tennis – the place Staff Europe will conflict towards Staff 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 strategy because of the better 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 informed a information convention in Berlin.
“The most effective movers are the very best gamers and you may see that. The mentally fittest, bodily strongest and quickest are the very best gamers.
“It isn’t a lot about approach any extra. I’ve bought fooled sufficient within the final 10, 15, 20 years the place I feel, ‘I am unsure about this method’ 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, every thing 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 perhaps only a lack of variation however that is as a result of we have now all double-handers nowadays 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 probably 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
Looking forward to 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 stated.
“I feel like he has chances moving forward.
“I stay up for Australia which is the following Slam. I feel he is undoubtedly 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 photographs on the ATP excursions over time
Federer, who possessed one of the easy and chic one-handed backhands of a era, additionally bemoaned the demise of the distinctive shot on the high of the boys’s sport.
Requested what might be completed, the Swiss joked: “Tie one hand behind the back and play with one hand.”
He then supplied 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 inclined to look in direction of the very best gamers on this planet and for those who see the double-hander then you definately suppose that’s the manner shifting ahead regardless that it won’t be after which I simply suppose it is the coaches world wide who would possibly realise some gamers play higher with a one-hander fairly 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 certain the one-handed backhand nonetheless has an area within the trendy sport. After all, you possibly can battle a lot extra with the double-hander on the return and in defence, whereas perhaps the one-hander generally is a lot tougher.
“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 will probably 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 further price. Discover out extra right here.
