"Hey don't worry, you have time" - Roger Federer on the advice he would give to his 20-year-old self
Roger Federer was recently asked what advice he would give to his younger self - specifically, when he was 20 years old. And the Swiss legend gave a detailed response, emphasizing how important it is to enjoy the development process rather than stress over it.
Roger Federer has had a tremendous career, and he has also been blessed with incredible longevity. But as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day; even Federer took a lot of time and experienced a lot of setbacks to get to the point where he is at right now.
And that is exactly what the 39-year-old Roger Federer would like to remind his younger self - that there was still a lot of time.
“Hey, don't worry, you have time Roger,” Federer said.
Federer then went on to talk about the importance of finding the right perspective in your approach towards life. Rather than going too fast or too slow, he advocates a balance between the two.
“And at the same time, like, it's gonna go by fast,” Federer continued. “It's a bit of both because, you know, a lot of the times when you're young, you're like, it's got to happen right now, we don't have time we got to do it. And at the same time, you realize, hey, we have time, take your time, practice, you know, don't stress out about everything. So I think important to enjoy it. You know, not stress too much about every little detail.”
Roger Federer would also advise his 20-year-old self to learn from his mistakes and pay attention to the finer details, since he believes that is the foremost way to master the game.
“Try your best to learn quick, I think learning quick and not making the same mistakes, a million times will be good,” Federer said. “And then trust your coach, trust your, your place to train and all and then really get stuck into the details. Because I do believe at the very top or on the tour on professional tour, it's the details that make the difference.”
What advice would a 50-year-old Roger Federer give to his present-day version?
In the same interview, Roger Federer was also asked to guess what advice his 50-year-old self would pass on to his current version. The Swiss was quick to respond that his older self would ask him to enjoy his tennis for a few more years on the tour.
“He would tell me play for a few more years,” Federer said. “I was like, come on, Roger. Try to play as long as possible and enjoy yourself. I hope that's what he would say."