"You can put anyone on this planet in front of him, Roger Federer will genuinely care about him and make him comfortable" - Pierre Paganini
Pierre Paganini, Roger Federer's fitness coach for 22 years, recently spoke about the 20-time Major winner, calling him "100 percent pure."
Federer shocked the tennis world recently by announcing his retirement from the sport. He is, however, scheduled to participate in the Laver Cup from September 23-25.
In an interview with Swiss German-language daily newspaper Blick, Paganini revealed the greatest quality of the Swiss maestro off the court.
"His spontaneity. You only meet someone like him once. You can put anyone on this planet in front of him, Federer will genuinely care about him and make him comfortable. He is honest, sincere, and curious. Roger is always 100 percent pure," he said.
When asked if Federer made the right decision to retire, Paganini said it wasn't for him to judge. But when pushed, he opined that it was a "smart decision."
"It's not my place to judge. I was one of his coaches for 22 years, an incredible privilege. I am fortunate to have worked with this extraordinary athlete and person. But if you ask me for my assessment: I think it's a smart decision," he added.
Federer-Vertrauter Pierre Paganini: «Im Juli merkte Roger, dass es schwierig wird» blick.ch/sport/tennis/f…
"We don't want him to get injured again and then have physical problems in his future" - Pierre Paganini on Roger Federer
In the same interview with Blick, Paganini elaborated on why Roger Federer made the right decision to retire. He stressed the brutal nature of sport at the highest level and didn't want Federer to risk his future by getting injured again.
"That's why I think this decision is so wise," he said. "You can retire from the ATP Tour, but maybe you still want to live out your passion for tennis. Roger's resignation is also a relief for me. We don't want him to get injured again and then have physical problems in his future. In top-class sport you have to go to the limits in training - but you also have to be able to decide when it's too much."
Paganini also emphasized that Federer's decision to retire was not a spontaneous one.
"It doesn't happen spontaneously on Thursday at quarter past three," he said. "Since July, when he started combining the different training elements, he noticed that he had to make more and more detours and put in extra effort. He had to make greater efforts for relatively low intensity."
It was beautiful to release the news surrounded by my Mum and Dad and Mirka. Who would have thought that the journey would last this long. Just incredible! https://t.co/0rRAMRSaRu
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