"It's tough to compare Roger Federer with anybody, he is so unique in everything" - Legendary coach Jose Higueras
Legendary tennis coach Jose Higueras has lavished praise on his former pupil Roger Federer, saying the Swiss cannot be compared to any other player on tour.
Having coached the 20-time Grand Slam champion briefly in 2008, Higueras witnessed first-hand the Swiss maestro's brilliance with a racket.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe podcast, the Spaniard expressed awe at how Federer conducted himself with grace both on and off the tennis court.
Higueras added that the former World No. 1 had an insatiable "thirst" to keep learning and never hesitated to experiment.
"It's tough to compare Roger [Federer] with anybody. He is so unique in everything - how he goes about his game, off the court," Higueras said. "He likes to feel the ball on his racquet strings, he likes to experiment. If you tell him something, he will digest it, he will think about it and [he is one of] those guys who are always so thirsty to learn."
Rafael Nadal is known to celebrate French Open wins by falling on the ground.
He didn't do it in 2008 - he beat Federer 6-1 6-3 6-0. It was one of the worst losses of Federer’s career.
“Given my relationship with Roger I didn't want to celebrate too much”
#RandomFactOfTheDay https://t.co/P035LVayGv
Higueras recounted one particular incident to highlight the Swiss' uniqueness. The 68-year-old recalled that after losing the 2008 Roland Garros final 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 to Rafael Nadal, Federer hosted a get-together for his friends a few hours later.
According to the coach, the fact that the former World No. 1 moved on so easily after such a one-sided loss was admirable.
"With Roger, there is always something funny happening. When he got defeated by Rafael Nadal in the [2008] French Open, he won only four games. After that, we had a get-together with a bunch of his friends from Switzerland, like forty people. I was so depressed but [he had a celebration after that huge loss]," Higueras said. "My point is, he is just so unique."
Jose Higueras proud of how he persuaded Roger Federer to add the forehand drop shot to his repertoire
During the interview, Jose Higueras brought up another incident involving Roger Federer to showcase the Swiss' willingness to experiment. Higueras revealed that after watching several tapes of the Swiss' matches, he came to the realization that he never used the forehand drop shot, especially on clay.
When questioned about the matter, Federer responded that he did not feel the need to use a drop shot since his forehand was powerful enough to win points on its own.
Higueras then sat the 20-time Grand Slam champion down and explained how adding another weapon to his arsenal would make him an even bigger threat to opponents standing deep behind the baseline.
"When I first met Roger, we started watching tapes of his matches, from one afternoon till one or two in the morning. That's when I realized that he never hit a forehand drop shot on clay," Higueras said. "So, I asked him, "Roger, why don't you use your drop shot on the forehand side?" He said, "Why would I do that? I have a huge forehand!""
The 68-year-old recalled that, after the conversation, it was only a matter of time before the 40-year-old incorporated the shot into his routine.
"So we got into a conversation about the advantages of favoring that shot. People think it is not an offensive shot, but it's an extremely offensive shot. I said to him, "Just imagine you're playing someone who is 10 feet behind the baseline. You have two shots to hit, down the line or a cross-court forehand. But if you have a third option, it’s going to force the other guy to change his position." [After that], it didn't take him too long to actually start using the shot," Higueras said.
#OnThisDay in 2009, @rogerfederer beats Robin Soderling to win the 108th Men's French Open. @rolandgarros 😍🏆 https://t.co/fFSVLIC2sz
Federer reaped the rewards almost immediately, winning the French Open the very next year. The World No. 30 defeated Robin Soderling in straight sets in the final to complete a Career Grand Slam.