"I always knew I had something special, but I didn't know it was that crazy" - When Roger Federer spoke about being a 'very talented' player
Roger Federer once candidly discussed his seemingly effortless dominance on tour after triumphing at the 2010 Australian Open.
That year, Federer entered the Melbourne Slam as the top seed and reached the final with wins over the likes of Lleyton Hewitt, Nikolay Davydenko and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He beat Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11) in the final to clinch his fourth Australian Open and 16th Grand Slam title.
Following his triumph, the Swiss was asked about his growing Majors tally and the apparent ease with which he continued to accumulate them. Reflecting on his achievements, Roger Federer humorously called himself a "very talented" player.
He admitted that while he always knew he was a special player, he hadn't expected such "crazy" success.
"Yeah, look, there's no secret behind it. You know, I mean, definitely a very talented player (laughter). I always knew I had something special, but I didn't know it was like, you know, that crazy," he said in his post-match press conference.
He also credited the younger generation of players, like Murray, for pushing him to become a better player.
"I think that's also thanks to guys like Murray. They've made me a better player, because I think this has been one of my finest performances, you know, in a long time, or maybe forever," he said.
Roger Federer: "I try to be good for the game, leave it better off than when I arrived, even though that's hard"
During the press conference, Roger Federer also touched on the legacy he hoped to leave behind in tennis, emphasizing his desire to leave the sport in a better state than he found it.
"No, neither. I just think it's something that's going to be once I hang up my racquet, that's when people should judge me and talk about what great things I did, maybe less great things I did, you know. But I try to be good for the game, leave it better off than when I arrived, even though that's hard," he said.
The Swiss expressed gratitude towards the tennis legends who came before him, acknowledging their role in popularizing the sport.
"I'm very thankful to the legends of the game who created this great platform for us. We did have another record crowd attendance at the Australian Open. For me to be part of something like this is something also very special, of course," he added.
Roger Federer retired from professional tennis in September 2022, with 20 Grand Slam singles titles.