Stefanos Tsitsipas on Roger Federer in his prime: "He was kind of unstoppable"
Roger Federer is a highly respected figure in the tennis world and many players look up to him in admiration, with Stefanos Tsitsipas being one of them.
In a conversation with the Diriyah Tennis Cup ahead of the tournament, the Greek player reflected on Federer's golden era and stated that the 41-year-old was "unstoppable" in his prime.
"Roger's best years, you know, he was kind of unstoppable. It seemed so going forwards," Tsitsipas said.
Tsitsipas, recollecting one of Federer's old statements, stated that the Swiss maestro's mentality helped him reach the top of the sport.
"He said, I remember, many years ago that 'if you don't improve and if you don't change something in a positive way, the opponents are gonna kind of find out what you are doing and what you've been doing is not anymore as efficient as it was before. So, you always got to think forward, you always gotta be progressive in your mindset.' And that's what he has been doing so well for so many years," he said.
The World No. 4 is all set to take part in the Diriyah Tennis Cup, which is set to commence on December 8 in Saudi Arabia. Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev are some of the other prominent players in the tournament.
"The impact he had on the game is wild" - Frances Tiafoe on Roger Federer's influence on the tennis world
Roger Federer's illustrious career has influenced the next generations of tennis players, with one of them being Frances Tiafoe, who has idolized the Swiss for his contributions to the sport.
In a recent interview, Tiafoe heaped praise on the tennis legend as he stated that the impact the 20-time Grand Slam winner had on the game was "wild."
"I mean, the impact he had on the game is wild. No one’s going to play the game like he did. No one’s going to carry themselves like he did. He never sweated, he never had a wrinkle on his shirt," the American said.
The American also reminisced about the 41-year-old's farewell match at the 2022 Laver Cup.
"To play against them, even if one of then weren’t retiring, to play against them together is iconic, and as Fed’s last match... So, that’s even more iconic, and the crowd is going wild," he recalled.
For his farewell match, the Swiss maestro teamed up with Rafael Nadal and locked horns with Tiafoe and Jack Sock. The Americans emerged victorious from the contest, winning 4-6, 7-6(2), 11-9.