"When Roger Federer entered the dressing room, he had an aura" - Former tennis coach
Former coach Dante Bottini recently reflected on the absence of Roger Federer from the tour. Federer called time on his illustrious career following the 2022 Laver Cup in London.
The Swiss is widely regarded as one of the best players in tennis history. He enjoyed a highly successful career, winning 20 Grand Slams, 28 Masters 1000 titles and six ATP Finals, among other accolades.
Unfortunately for Federer, injuries caught up with him in his later years. Following an entire year on the sidelines starting with Wimbledon 2021, Federer decided to call it a day at the Laver Cup in 2022.
Bottini, who has coached former ATP top 10 player Kei Nishikori in the past, recently said that the locker room is a different place without Federer, who commanded respect with his aura and humility.
“I feel the absence of Roger Federer and miss him," said Bottini (as per La Nacion). "He was a different player from everyone else. I don't know how to explain it, but the tournaments were different when Roger was there."
"When he entered the locker room he had an aura," Bottini added. "Everyone was a little bit speechless, they stared at him. He commanded respect not just by playing tennis, but just by walking around. And then he was just a normal and fun guy with a good sense of humour. "
With 103 singles titles, Federer is second on the all-time men's singles leaderboard; Jimmy Connors (109) is the only player ahead of him. Federer's tally of 1242 singles wins is also only dwarfed by Connors (1274).
How does MLB star Shohei Ohtani's monstrous deal compare with the combined career earnings of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic?
Japanese two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani recently signed a monstrous 10-year contract worth $700m with MLB team LA Dodgers. This is the biggest contract in the history of team sports.
But how does it compare with the career earnings of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic?
Federer earned $130.6 million during his career spanning more than two decades. Nadal, who is widely expected to play for the final time in 2024, has amassed career earnings of over $134.6 million. World No. 1 Djokovic, meanwhile, has had career earnings of $180.6 million, including nearly $16 million in 2023.
The combined career earnings of the big-3 come to around $456 million, which is less than two-thirds of what Ohtani is set to earn with the Dodgers in the next 10 years.