In Doha, after 405 days of absence, Roger Federer had, on March 10, won a match against Briton Daniel Evans before losing 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 against Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.
In the process, the legendary Swiss gave up the tournaments in Dubai, then Miami.
"I decided the best thing to do was go back to training," said the legendary 39-year-old.
Since the player with 20 crowns in Grand Slam (like Rafael Nadal) had entrenched himself in a certain discretion.
On his program, his form, his desires, his motivation.
In an interview with the fashion magazine “Numéro Homme”.
In remarks reported by Le Matin, he ensures to keep the flame: “I will not come back to play second rounds in a lost corner.
I feel like I know what I need to do to get there.
There is a part of dream and part of logic, it is a logical dream.
I want to win big tournaments and beat the best players in the world.
I work very hard for it, even if I don't talk about it a lot. "
Referring to confinement, the father of four who has become the new tourism ambassador to Switzerland says: “It was nice to be back in my country where, in general, I don't spend more than three months a year.
In my tennis life, I make the big decisions and people manage the day-to-day for me.
There, I was really delighted to pilot details with my wife, to think of things for the children, the garden, the house. ”
"Now I only need half an hour to recover from a loss, maybe an hour if it is the Wimbledon final"
Roger Federer
Roger Federer also spoke at length about a hidden face of champions, that which affects the digestion of defeats: “When I was young, I was not even angry when I lost, but extremely sad.
It is from my defeats that I have learned the most.
The most important thing is not to give it too much emotional importance, you should not judge yourself at all costs.
Some people think for days and nights about the shots they missed.
I chose to analyze very quickly.
It helps me move on. ”
Even the defeat in the final of Wimbledon in 2019 (7/3 in the tie-break of the 5th set, played for the first time at Wimbledon at 12-12 against Novak Djokovic) when the hope of a 9th coronation at Wimbledon was brutally fainted ?
“Now I only need half an hour to recover from a loss, maybe an hour if it's the Wimbledon final.
Fans have told me about this loss for weeks on the web.
And it still happens today.
But I understand."
Leaving his gaze on the rest of the season and a career launched in 1998, marked by 1243 victories on the circuit (272 defeats), 103 titles (including 20 in Grand Slam and 28 in Masters 1000), the legendary player (39 years old) confessed: "I'm going to give it a last shot to see what's left in the tank ..."
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