"In all my years, I have never seen Roger Federer arrogant and disrespectful towards other players" - Alexander Waske
Former tennis player Alexander Waske has paid tribute to Roger Federer for his friendly disposition, asserting that he has never seen the 40-year-old act in a pompus manner in all his years on the ATP tour.
In a recent column for Tennis Magazin, Waske declared that despite his unprecedented success, the Swiss conducted himself with an honesty that showcased his honest and humble nature.
The German recalled an incident from the 2006 French Open to prove his point. Waske revealed that he and Federer were watching an unnamed player struggle with nerves during an important match, and recounted how the former World No. 1 admitted that it was something he struggled with as well.
#Federer on nerves before opening on Centre Court - his 9th time doing so: "It feels like you are walking out for a final, because of the pressure."
The 46-year-old disclosed that he was in awe of the World No. 26 after the incident because of his openness to show his vulnerability to his fellow players.
"In all my years, I have never seen Roger Federer arrogant and disrespectful towards other players. During the 2006 French Open, we were in the massage room watching a match of a player who was about to win the biggest game of his career and suddenly couldn't hit the ball," Waske said.
"Roger said: 'My God, he's tight.' The second we thought that he could talk well as a player and levitate above things, he turned around and said: 'Don't we all know how does that feel?' That was where I saw Roger from the vulnerable and honest side," he added.
"You can compare Roger Federer's mindset to actors" - Alexander Waske
Alexander Waske also spoke at length about Roger Federer's mindset during matches, something he considered key to the 20-time Grand Slam champion's continued success. In a conversation with Waske, the Swiss had revealed that he preferred to go into contests as the favorite because it helped him enjoy his time on the court even more.
"I once asked him, 'Roger, I often cramp up when I go into a match as the favorite. How do you deal with that?' He said, 'I need to feel like a favorite. I always go onto the pitch with the same feeling because I know how it feels when I'm playing well.' That surprised me because no one feels the same all the time. Every day is different. He said that the lightness on the pitch is a matter of feeling and he [simply] slips into this feeling," Waske said.
Roger Federer. «I thought I had a really good attitude. It was maybe one of the first times I felt at peace out there, really calm. It’s the big picture that matters. I was just sitting there, relaxing. This is how I wanted to be.» #Federer https://t.co/T60ecVIQBH
The German noted how the World No. 26 extended the same mindset to his pre-match routines as well, ensuring that he had a "feeling of lightness" that kept him cool and composed. The 46-year-old likened this approach to actors who train themselves to feel the appropriate emotions when portaying a role, noting that it was exactly what Federer did to mentally prepare himself before matches.
"He does this through his pre-match routines: warming up, throwing in, showering, eating, taping his ankles, wrapping grips, etc. You can compare [Roger Federer's mindset] to actors who also get into feelings and not only pretend but also feel these feelings," Waske said. "Roger borrowed something from acting by finding a way to dive into and own that emotion."
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