Roger Federer on Retirements: “Doesn’t Matter How Bad I’m Feeling, I Will Be Out There”

I play with injuries and try to finish the match. Then I play the excuse game. Can’t believe other players haven’t learned it yet.

September 3rd, 2011 at 7:16 pm

U tell him Fed! No doubt Fed is the Iron Man of Tennis. No quitter attitude. Love it!

September 3rd, 2011 at 10:08 pm

Roger is simply outstanding in this regard and can’t be considered the norm. He is the epitome, but that doesn’t mean everyone should follow suit.

September 3rd, 2011 at 10:17 pm

He brings up an interesting point about how long these players could have been carrying these injuries. What the players should follow is the intelligently Federer plans his schedule.

September 3rd, 2011 at 10:53 pm

the way i see it, roger doesn’t have to convince me, i already know how perfect he is. he is so perfect until i wouldn’t expect him to quit a match. perfect players don’t quit matches because they don’t have injuries. only mere mortals get injuries and risk quitting matches. sooner or later, i’m sure the atp will honor him with an award for setting a perfect record in yet another area of the game.

btw, the way he seizes every opportunity to toot his own horn has become his trademark. no player does it better!

September 3rd, 2011 at 10:59 pm

The key is probably schedule management. However, some of the lower ranked guys likely *have to* play more, for money reasons. Another probable factor is biology: i.e., good genes. Some people are more prone to illnesses (weak immune systems for whatever reason) or injury (less naturally flexible, etc). That’s just the way it is. All players are different, and that’s a good thing! :)

September 3rd, 2011 at 11:06 pm

Tch…tch…there Mem goes again, “the way (she) seizes every opportunity to (slam Federer) has become (her) tradmark. No (one) does it better.”

So much hatred for one player. Sad, really!

September 3rd, 2011 at 11:11 pm

Fed’s record of matches played with no retirements is great, though. It’s amazing how many matches he’s played (and obviously won) that he has *rarely* been injured in all these years. Only the back, really. Several factors go into it, of course, but it is noteworthy.

September 3rd, 2011 at 11:39 pm

Jane,
I have been following your posts for some time now. You are truly in a class by yourself. Never slamming players that may not be your favorites, yet giving credit where credit is due. Hats off to you, and others of your ilk.

I have always believed, like you, that life is too short to vent relentlessly against one individual. My 17-year old son has your kind of approach to life, which no doubt makes me very proud of him.

September 3rd, 2011 at 11:47 pm

Thanks Anon. Admittedly, I used to be the opposite years ago, and over time I realized it was poisonous. Why get stressed out blogging about a sport? :) I still worry too much when my faves are playing, but that’s part of the drama; mostly I try to enjoy. It seems the majority of posters here are the same. Also, people have different views. That is one of the democratic things about the internet: all the opinions and debates for which it allows.

Good news to hear you have a teenager with such a laidback or positive attitude! You should be proud.

Okay, off to watch film. See you around anon, ;)

September 4th, 2011 at 12:10 am

Also, people have different views. That is one of the democratic things about the internet: all the opinions and debates for which it allows.
—
I thought one of the best things about the internet was that you could call people names anonymously. May be I am very naive!

September 4th, 2011 at 12:36 am

“No quitting”. For sure, that is one stellar quality which differentiates the Greatest Federer from the Competition. I see this as a mark of a true Champion. Today’s players need to emulate from Federer and imbibe his strict work regime. They have a lot to learn from the veteran as to how to schedule tournaments, play to your strength and other things et al. I saw his match against Cilic and was amazed to find as to how Federer at his age was running all over the Court to retrieve even the toughest of drop shots with little effort. There is no other delight for a Tennis Fan rather than seeing Federer at the Tennis court and unveiling his effortless play.

September 4th, 2011 at 12:45 am

Well said Michael!

Fed is not the only one questioning this stuff, past greats Wilander and Gilbert have spoken out also, who played there careers with numerous injuries but never retired. Not once.

Go Fed!

September 4th, 2011 at 1:44 am

Anon,

if you think “life is too short to vent against one individual” then maybe you should spend your time minding your own business and not caring so much about this individual’s comments.

you should know by now i’m not accepting and agreeable as jane nor do i want to be, no disrespect intended. some people seek to please to avoid confrontations. it’s their personality. jane is one of those people; i don’t have a problem with it because i live in the real world and understand that perceptions may differ as do personalities. it’s foolish and unrealistic to think that everybody should have the same opinion about the same situation. it’s absurb! it’s just not going to happen, so get use to it!

September 4th, 2011 at 2:27 am

“atp will honor him with an award for setting a perfect record in yet another area of the game.”

This……is a great idea!!!! Perfect! Another notch for the GOAT.

September 4th, 2011 at 2:46 am

HUmble Rafa @12:36, funny, as usual. I think a lot of people agree with you!

September 4th, 2011 at 3:02 am

I think the Federer-Cilic match was the highest quality match so far of the tournament, far higher level than Monfils-Ferrero match which was just a long 5-set one. Cilic really tried really hard to upset Federer and could have if he had played well on break points.

September 4th, 2011 at 3:40 am

Oh yeah, the internet is supposed to be democratic and allow for candid and/or honest opinions, albeit, for and against, without people being called names and harassed for what they believe or feel, but is that the case? Absolutely not. One only has to read the comments posted on blogs, and the heated/angry responses those comments evoke, to conclude that there is nothing democratic about the internet as we are led to believe.

I think on blogs where people are friendly with each other, their opinions become somewhat slanted and guarded, for fear of being shunned and/or losing a cyber friend. In some cultures, it can be termed losing face, but why should that matter on the internet considering the anonymity it supposedly affords.

September 4th, 2011 at 4:14 am

scoreboard66: but I would rather engage in dialogue than warfare. Conflict of interest is inevitable, but how it’s managed is key.
Different cultures obviously have extremely different ideas about manners/humour/sportsmanship etc. Often so easy to cause offence where probably none is intended. Obviously just as easy to intend to give offence because there are no repercussions.
Forums fascinating for people watching.

September 4th, 2011 at 5:26 am

Thanks Skeezerweezer. I dread to imagine the day Tennis will be without Roger. I hope he continues playing for his fans and delight us with his immaculate masterly performance. He is a Mozart in action. But time never waits. There will come a day when Federer calls it a day and that will be the saddest day in Tennis.

September 4th, 2011 at 6:36 am

i must adminut Humble Rafa’s 1236 post made me laugh

September 4th, 2011 at 7:54 am

he’s a class apart on court but i’m not much of his fan off it….. but i agree with him on this…. giving a 100% for the fans is much more than throwing the towel
hopin for federer nadal finals this year :):)

September 4th, 2011 at 8:59 am

These injury/retirement comments from Fed were targeted towards Berdych.
When Fed lost to Berdych in Wibmy 2010, Fed complained he had back issues. Berdych was upset over Feds so called excuse and verbally communicated his unhappiness over Fed’s post match comments.

Now Berdych retired mid-match and Fed wanted to take a shot at him.

September 4th, 2011 at 11:38 am

^ wtf? Dreamin… Where did he say that?

September 4th, 2011 at 11:54 am

@skeezerweezer –

From Centre Court, Roger Federer walked toward his earliest July vacation in eight years. He left detailing a variety of ailments, chief among them a sore knee, a stiff back and wounded pride. Read more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/sports/tennis/01wimbledon.html

WIMBLEDON 2010: Federer’s a bad loser, says Berdych. ‘I don’t know if he is just looking for excuses,’ said the 24-year-old Czech. ‘I think every time when he played, he was 100 per cent ready.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-1290998/WIMBLEDON-2010-Federers-bad-loser-says-Berdych.html#ixzz1X07UGswM

September 4th, 2011 at 12:44 pm

Dc,

First of all, so what he has never retired. Great champions are never “good losers”, they don’t accept losing very well, ans shouldn’t.

Second, I repeat where did Fed take a shot at Birdy directly in his comments above?

Lastly, is this the only dirt you can dig up on Fed after almost 1000 matches on tour? Wanna duscuss ur fav now?

September 4th, 2011 at 3:59 pm

scoreborad66,

good point!

to my knowledge, no one here is forced to engage in warfare. it’s a choice to take part in a particular discussion, not a law. in society, you can’t demand that others stop doing something because you don’t agree with it or because you don’t have the courage to do it. it’s quite a barbaric way of thinking if you ask me.

after you’re visited and commented on this blog for a while as i have, you come to understand the characteristics of most of these posters, especially the regulars.

they talk out both corners of their mouths. it sounds good, but it’s phony. for example, certain posters attack every comment i make regardless of my intention. they automatically find something wrong where there is nothing. they make something out of every thing i say and then lie and say i’m the one creating conflict. how am i creating conflict by stating my opinion which happens to be contrary to theirs? truth is, they are the ones creating warfare in an effort to unite to intimidate and bully others into seeing things their way. the same posters find nothing wrong when their buddies do the same things they accuse me of. what they really want is for me to shut up and go away.

they are hypocrites and i know it and that’s why there is nothing they can advice me on. they can try, but it’s a waste of time.

when you are not afraid to rock the boat expect to be attacked by those who don’t have the guts to do what you do. i’m use to it, it motivates me!

September 4th, 2011 at 3:59 pm

This was a great article about a great achievement by a great tennis player. Too bad it turned into a blog pysch analysis class. Aren’t there other places to talk about that?

September 4th, 2011 at 4:26 pm

@ margot, I agree with you that forum observation is fascinating. I’m intrigued by some of the stuff I see written.

September 4th, 2011 at 5:45 pm

I don’t think this article was about any one player’s achievements, but a player’s views, viz. Roger Federer’s, on retirements, which seems to have reached epidemic proportions, especially at this year’s USO.

I’ve commented above on the topic of democracy of the internet, however, I have no intentions of turning this topic into a blog psych analysis class, as I have no knowledge in that field or area of expertise. At the same time, I don’t see anything wrong with other people voicing their opinions, coz, after all, according to a few, the internet IS a democratic way to express one’s opinions and engage in debates, hence the reason we visit blog forums for that same purpose.

Maybe, this is not the thread to express those views, however, during the short time I’ve been posting here, I’ve yet to come across one article that stays on the topic. That said, who’s to say what should and should not be written on this or any other thread, unless we are inappropriately maligning others, by the aid of name caling, and harassment, and flagrantly disregarding the blog forum’s rules. If so, then that is a matter for the forum officials and/or moderators to decide and I would hope that we are all accorded the same equal rights and privileges of blogging.

September 4th, 2011 at 6:39 pm

@mem, I’ve engaged in blogging on other forums, not about tennis, but on technical stuff that’s job related, and I think you’ll find that not everyone is going to agree with you, and there will always be a difference of opinion.

I don’t think other people’s opinions should deter you from expressing your views, coz, not everyone is open-minded enough to accept criticism or like to see the truth in front of them. You’ll find that some people are open-minded and some are not. However, as long as you know you’re not lieing/maligning or trying to cause harm to others, then you are perfectly within your rights to express yourself as you see fit. It’s a situation of doing what feels right to you because it’s an impossible task of trying to please others. Making it a priority to please others can be a two-edged sword, as some feel that you’re an easy target and undeserving of their respect. I think we should do what suits us best as long as we don’t intentionally set out to hurt others.

September 4th, 2011 at 7:05 pm

sb66,

Then why don’t you move this conversation over to the Rafa gets cramps thread? Just saying……but that is my imo…you and mem have yours…so…..blog on

September 4th, 2011 at 8:05 pm

Excuse me, what are you trying to say, coz I don’t understand just saying.

September 4th, 2011 at 8:20 pm

scoreboard66,

take my advise,what skeezer says is not worth the space it’s written in. he just a bag of hot air! he doesn’t understand what he’s talking about either, so don’t feel bad if you don’t understand what he’s talking about. most of the time, i don’t dignify his comments with a response. as far as i’m concerned, he’s talking to himself!

September 4th, 2011 at 9:07 pm

Nice try mem, not goimg there. Your posts speak for themselves, like the latest eggfest debacle. Now Nole fans love u as well.

September 4th, 2011 at 10:05 pm

Sb66,

mem has already responded for me so i will just let her post speak as a solid explanantion that I am sure will make sense to you. I, am full of hot air. Her advice is golden and she always knows what is best. You seem to enjoy the commaradarie with her, so Blog on.

For me I prefer to get back to Tennis, the USO and talk about all players, and the game. Out on this thread.

September 5th, 2011 at 12:12 am

you know, one day tennis-x should have a party and all the posters should meet…which would take the anonymity out of the whole affair and avoid all these silly ‘bash postings’.

c’mon folks. take the high road. it’s only tennis.

September 5th, 2011 at 1:18 am

Can it be at Wimbledon andrea? :)

September 5th, 2011 at 1:19 am

In a way, Djokovic has managed to preserve the legacy of Roger Federer as the GREATEST to have played this Sport. More often than not, we are used to often hear about these lop sided H2H statistics between Federer and Nadal and thereby question his greatness from Nadalites which made Federites squirm with dejectment. Now Djokovic has given the answer by humiliating Nadal five times in a row and that too in finals of major tournaments. This has made Nadlites silence to submission. They should have now lately realized that individual H2H does not matter and it is only the overall achievement that counts. Just because Djokovic has got the better of Nadal five times a row, he cannot be heralded as a better player. He has many things to prove before competing with the likes of Federer and Nadal. In the same way, Nadal too has many things to prove before he can be counted upon as pantheon of greatness.

September 5th, 2011 at 2:22 am

skeezerweezer, I’m not here to take sides, and nothing Mem or anyone says about you or any other poster will cause me to judge you unfairly. I form my opinions and come to conclusions based on my actual experience, and am not swayed by what others say and do. Neither of you has done anything to hurt or offend me, so why do you think I will take Mem’s side against you? I’m not that type of person, and am neutral on this matter coz I’m neither friend nor foe, but just a tennis fan who likes tennis, and come here to shoot the breeze with other tennis fan. I like to read other people’s opinions. This is a great site for keeping updated on what’s going on in the tennis world.

My comments on this thread were just general in nature and were not aimed at anyone. I happen to think that we all should be able to state our opinions, and as I told Mem, as long as our comments are done without lieing, maligning and harassing others, then why shouldn’t we be able to comment? I like Roger just as much as you or the next Fed fan, but I try to not let my anger get the best of me whenever he is ridiculed unnecessarily. I succeed some of the time, but not all of the time, coz I’m only human. I’m also not one for making friends, but I don’t think I should have been rude to Mem when she addressed me directly. Like I said, I form my own conclusions, and until I’m attacked by either of you, I’ll continue to be civil and polite towards both of you, without taking sides.

I think that both you and Mem are passionate individuals who care very much for your players, and from my experience on such situations, I’ve noticed that friction will always develop when there’s so much emotion floating around. I think you are both very knowledgeable tennis fans and I learn from both of you, especially your take of the Roger’s game, and Mem’s on Rafa. If I’m not mistaken, I vaguely remember you stating you’ve played tennis for years, yes? For me, you’re the best person to listen to for free advice on a forum because of your experience. I’m just a weekend player, who plays for fun, so any tips will be welcome.

Skeezerweezer, I hope that you understand where I’m coming from, and please don’t let’s have any hard feelings between us. I hope that you and Mem will kiss and make up on whatever it is that’s the root of the problem. I haven’t been here long enough to know of the history between the two of you. Peace, and be well. let’s hope for a Fed victory.

September 5th, 2011 at 5:41 am

Agree with sb66 that aftr all is said n done, lets hope for a federer victory, lol ;)

September 5th, 2011 at 6:15 am