"It’s not going to be easy [following in his footsteps]" - Marc-Andrea Huesler reflects on Roger Federer's legacy following maiden ATP Tour title
Swiss professional tennis player Marc-Andrea Huesler recorded his first ever ATP Tour title on Sunday after winning the Sofia Open in Bulgaria. The 26-year-old sat down with ATPtour.com following his success over the weekend and spoke about the impact Roger Federer has had on him as a fellow tennis player.
"It’s hard to fill his (Federer) footsteps for sure. He’s done so much for the sport," Huesler said. "Watching him play on TV, in Davis Cup, no matter where, I honestly didn’t know half the time where he was playing, but he was basically just winning and made it look so easy. He just made the sport so interesting for so many people around the world who were just glued to the TV whenever he was playing. That’s still the case now."
The left-hander stated that Federer's lecacy will be hard to replicate. However, he believes that there are many young and talented Swiss players on the rise who will be inspired by his recent victory.
"Obviously it’s not going to be easy [following in his footsteps]. There are going to be Swiss people who [have been] spoiled by his results," Huesler continued. "But on the other hand, now I also won an ATP tournament, so maybe some people will change their mind. Anyone who knows something about tennis knows that it’s not just a walk through the park to get to the Top 100. I feel like we have a couple of really, really good young Swiss players who are coming up the rankings. And probably also them seeing what I can accomplish pushes them on as well."
Marc-Andrea Huesler continues to climb ATP rankings
Marc-Andrea Huesler is enjoying a breakout season on the ATP Tour. He began the year ranked No. 186 and is currently sitting at a career-high of No. 64.
The left-hander won his first ever ATP Tour title on Sunday after defeating Holger Rune 6-4, 7-6(8) in the final of the Sofia Open in Bulgaria. With tennis icon Roger Federer hanging up his racquet following the Laver Cup, Swiss tennis fans are in search of the next tennis star.
There is no doubt that Huesler has plenty of potential. He is now the highest-ranked Swiss men's player and will look to build on the positive momentum heading into the final leg of the season.