Roger Federer Says He’s More Ruthless Now Than Ever

by Tom Gainey | July 1st, 2015, 8:56 am
  • 51 Comments

A month from turning 34, Roger Federer admitted that he’s more ruthless now than he ever was. Yesterday, Federer blew out Damir Dhzumer in just 68 minutes. That’s right, three sets in 68 minutes, the quickest men’s match of the first round.

“I think it’s also his first time on Centre Court,” Federer said of playing on Centre Court and his opponent Dzhumer. “I’m sure in some crazy way he’s also enjoying himself, can look back and say I played on Centre. It’s where you want to play. So I’m more focused on what I’m trying to do, trying to win the match.

“Back in the day maybe I would not be as ruthless as today. But now it’s trying to focus on what I need to do. The score, it is what it is. I don’t think it really matters at the end of the day what the scoreline is. For me, it’s about playing the tournament, the ball that’s coming from my opponent.


“I can’t mentally go there like that. Can’t really play tennis like that, unless it’s like your best friend or your brother, whatever it is. I’ve had that in some instances, but not against Dzumhur, who I barely know, to be honest.”

Federer then talked about what life he sees for himself after tennis.

“I’d like to drive the kids to school,” Federer said. “I’d like to spend time with them, my wife, live in Switzerland. Yeah, then there’s many other things I’ll be doing, like my foundation. Business, we’ll see. Tennis, we’ll see. But those two things I know for sure.”

In search of an 8th Wimbledon title, Federer plays big-serving American Sam Querrey on Thursday.


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51 Comments for Roger Federer Says He’s More Ruthless Now Than Ever

Hippy Chick Says:

Behind every great man lies a great woman,i have alot of admiration for Mirka and the wives/girlfriends and the way they support their men folk,however it might just be my interpretation but i get the impression that Mirka doesnt actually love the lifestyle as much as her husband does,she might say she does for her husbands sake,but sometimes she lookks stressed and downright miserable IMO,sometimes we run the risk of keeping others happy at the expense of our own happiness,my take….


sienna Says:

I know for a fact that xisca doesnot like living on tour.
Why Mirka? I think she gets enough satisfaction keeping the troops going. But agree. It takes a lot of planning to travel with such entourage. trainers, staff , children of course, teachers, nanny . maybe own chef?

80 + mil. a year …. She can hang in there for another 3/5 years.


calmdownplease Says:

`Behind every great man lies a great woman`

Such a cop out line that one.
So where are all these `great women` then & what have they achieved behind their men?
Mirka seems a bit of a grouch too.


RZ Says:

@CDP – Really?????
Let’s see:
– Mirka has managed much of Fed’s career, and considering how many matches he plays a year and how many other commitments he has had, that is nothing to sneeze at. Now she manages the household and home front, and with 4 young children again that is nothing to sneeze at. (Consider that if something happens to the kids or the care of them, that could derail Roger’s schedule)
– Djokovic’s early career was shaped by a female coach who he has given credit to
– Andy Murray’s early career was shaped by his mom, and his head coach is now a woman. And he has given credit to his marriage to Kim Sears for playing well since April.


RZ Says:

^ This isn’t to say that these men don’t deserve credit in their own right (anyone arguing otherwise would be foolish), but when a woman has a role in a man’s success it is often overlooked or shrugged off.


sienna Says:

especially Mirka.

He started winning slams not from the get go but after meeting Mirka. She is more then any coach responsable for TMF mode.
Mirka made him The Federator.


Hippy Chick Says:

I dont know how anyone could know for a fact,unless they know or have spoken to the players spouses personally,has Xisca actually said she doesnt like living on tour,maybe its true,she isnt always at Rafas matches as shes busy studying for a university degree?i used Mirka as an example as the thread topics about Roger,maybe she is happy and loves the lifestyle,but to me she just doesnt look like she is sorry….


Hippy Chick Says:

RZ Exactly,CDP its as James Brown once sang,Its A Mans World,but it wouldnt be nothing without a woman or a girl,i wish i knew how to do links and i would put up that song….


calmdownplease Says:

Mirka is not `great`
Amelie was a great player but his mother was not.
Male or female, it’s you out there that has to do what it takes when all said and done
As thank ful as you should be to all that helped you along
But helping someone else be great is not the same as being great yourself


calmdownplease Says:

Andy’s mother* was not a great tennis player (although Im sure Andy thinks she is a `great` mother).


RZ Says:

@CDP – they don’t have to been great tennis players to be great coaches, great managers, great agents, great partners, or great influences. Again, you are negating the positive effects that these women have had on these top players.


calmdownplease Says:

Yes, and you can have (and mostly have right now) great male coaches, agents etc
What’s your point?
I said that the old saying `behind every great man lies a great woman` is a cop out and a nonsense
Because, well, it is.
Never said women can’t be great at all.


Margot Says:

Sorry wimmin but I find it an incredibly old-fashioned saying and probably belongs to a time when women couldn’t be “great” in their own right, but had to act through men.
I mean nobody would claim that behind Ankela Merkel(don’t think I’ve spelled that right!) lurks a “great man.” Or even behind dear, not, Maggie Thatcher herself.
Yay! Heather Watson through to 3rd round! Go girl!


Hippy Chick Says:

Margot i think the saying is respectful to women,rather than been disrespectful to women,both sexes can be successful in their own rights,but the support they have for each other is great too,and yeah fantastic to see some Brits doing well so far,for a change….


RZ Says:

@CDP – You had asked “So where are all these `great women` then & what have they achieved behind their men?” That is what I was responding too.


jane Says:

agree with margot; it’s definitely an old-fashioned saying.
the women can be great, full stop. they don’t have to be behind someone for that.
ideally, couples are just supportive of each other and have their own things going on in life.

but i digress.

does anyone know anything about the ball kid who collapsed? :/


Hippy Chick Says:

How can anybody move let alone play tennis in this heat,my flat is like a cauldron,with an extractor fan on full?….


sienna Says:

to me xisca is never there. To me it seems she is not into tennis and acts like it is a passing time for Rafa.
Atleast Mirka understands the deep passion that needs to be nurtured
.
Rafael does not get that understanding. Atleast that is how I see it.


Hippy Chick Says:

Jane but thats what i meant in a good way,not a sexist way,anyway hope the ball kid is OK,im suffering like hell will hay fever,but things like that happening rather put that into perspective….


Margot Says:

@Hippy
I didn’t say it was “disrespectful.” I said it was old-fashioned.


M Says:

@RZ – Thank you very much.

Some of us are so tired of hearing the kind of dreck CDP is espousing (as well as handling the family admin work / elder care as well as doing our own jobs), so it’s nice to hear someone else eloquent take up the cause.

Plus, Mirka doesn’t look unhappy in those recent family pictures. She just looks busy.

(She can also take credit for that famous RF haircut back around 2005-6, though. That’s actually verifiable.)


Hippy Chick Says:

Margot OK fair enough probably is,its not worth having an argument about,something and nothing really….


Hippy Chick Says:

M i dont get the need for the snarky remark if it was aimed at me,its just my opinion and my perception,you disagree fair enough….


Jock-KatH Says:

When I get junk calls and some snotty voice insists on asking for MR. “Jock-KathH” as being the head of the household and the only person they should be dealing with – I couldn’t print what my answer is – but a few of you can probably guess………


Hippy Chick Says:

LOL Totally agree there KatH me too….


Hippy Chick Says:

Ivanovic out….


Jock-KatH Says:

The saying is “a man after my own heart” – glad you support the right to have a female version. (Glad I wasn’t around during the suffragette movement – apart from anything else, I’d be dead by now)…


chris ford1 Says:

CDP &RZ

`Behind every great man lies a great woman`

Such a cop out line that one.
So where are all these `great women` then & what have they achieved behind their men?

==================
More in CDP’s camp than RZ’s. There are some women who as wives, spouses, or coaches to the male protagonist that have been big factors or are great in their own right. The American example many are familiar with is Abigail Adams as confident to John Adams. From the famous letters, we see just how important she is.
In Djokovic’s case, he got a very good coach and talent spotter who had cultivated other star athletes in Gencic. Moreover, a coach that believed sports was just one aspect of a well developed life. That saw Djokovic was intellectually gifted and a driven student as well as a highly promising athlete, and cultivated that growth as well. But just as important was Djokovic’s dad Srdjan, who believed totally in Novak’s future and went all in.
Sometimes when women are overcredited, though, as the key behind all successful men, you see those women built up far past their own merits. No, First Lady Hillary is not the brains behind Bill Clinton thus worthy of the Oval Office for that..Or as noted on the other side, Mr Merkel could not “easily be chancellor”since he is who made Angela successful. Posh Spice did not “make” David Beckham. Mirka Federer makes life easier for Fed on the road, cuts down on distractions..but that is not to imply that Roger would never have been a star without her.


Wog Boy Says:

Albert Einstein would have never become “Albert Einstein” if it wasn’t for Mileva Einstein, she was the brain behind his work, yet he dumped her and apart of scientists nobody knows about Albert’s first wife.


M Says:

@WB – Some of us do know about Albert’s first wife, and how much she contributed to his work (as well as kept his house running) and how underappreciated she was.

@HC – I am … honestly not sure what snarky remark you are talking about. Any snark in my remarks was directed at CDP and his antiquated ideas about women’s contributions.


Wog Boy Says:

@M,
Nice words, thanks for reply.


Ruby Says:

@Wog Boy, as the daughter of a physicist, I think your statement about Mileva is extremely simplified. She was certainly a very bright woman whose own career was put on hold when she had his child and he did treat her poorly and leave her, but the “brain behind his work”? There’s no evidence at all to support that. There has been some supposition and debate that she made some contributions to his early work, and they certainly discussed it, but any evidence that she had any significant role is lacking — and she herself never claimed it. Not that anyone cares about this on a tennis forum, but I couldn’t let it pass …


Wog Boy Says:

@Ruby,
What you just said is official interpretation that you can find on internet, we can never know the truth what happened between the walls of their house and how much she contributed to Albert’s work, what kind of written evidence can you find in that situation? What kind of claim she can put on his work in those days, are you serious. She had a bigger problem to worry about, to look after the kids and raised them after Albert bolted to America with his new wife that he was dating while still married, yes, he was sending the money but she had to look after the boys, Albert was free to enjoy life in the new world.
Mileva was raised in patriarchal family where women don’t put any claims, just accept everything that life throws at them and keep battling.


Tennisfan Says:

Not sure about Fed’s ‘ruthlessness’, I think it’s all talk trying to pysche himself up and intimidate his opponents. He has been ruthless his whole career, I don’t see a difference in his competitiveness now compared to the mid 2000s. But anyway, hopefully it serves him well and he has a good run over the 2 weeks.


Ruby Says:

@ Wog Boy, I’ll just agree to disagree with you on this, but invite others who want to know more about Mileva to do their own research. She was a fascinating woman. You admit there is no evidence that she developed Einstein’s 1905 papers to any degree, but you simply want to believe that she did. Nothing I can do about that. Naturally, I wasn’t there, but it doesn’t add up and there is no reason at this time to alter the history for which there is substantive evdence.

All women were born into patriarchal families at that time, yet there were also women who stood up for their achievements. If Mileva had the mind to write those papers on her own, I simply do not buy she would have seen no import to it because she was too busy doing the chores …

But, whatever. I said my piece.


Wog Boy Says:

” If Mileva had the mind to write those papers on her own..”

Ruby, I have never said that, I’ll retract “brain behind his work” and change it to…”without his wife Mileva Albert wouldn’t be able to achieve what he achieved” and leave it there.


Wog Boy Says:

” Naturally, I wasn’t there, but it doesn’t add up and there is no reason at this time to alter the history for which there is substantive evdence.”

Ruby, there are few scientists who are credited with something that somebody else discovered, take this for example and tell after reading it what do you think about Thomas Edison and Marconi:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla


Okiegal Says:

Has anyone on here ever heard of a PHT degree…
Pushing Hubby Through???? I have friends who are wives, had it not been for them, husbands would have never gotten through college and obtained a degree. Hubby still had to pass the exams…….so you could call it a joint effort!! I believe good, caring faithful wives enhance the relationship between between man and wife and vice versa!! I ran for public office in my hometown. Before I committed myself to a campaign my husband had to be on board and he was. I filed for the office and ran unopposed….which saved us lots of footsteps! Behind the success of a political minded woman (wife) there is a willing man (husband) to help her make it happen!! Love my guy! :)


Skeezer Says:

Its nice to see a topic about Federer and its inevitabilty with Einstein.
Perfect.


django Says:

LOL Skeezer


Hippy Chick Says:

M @7.19pm July 1st sorry i think i got hold of the wrong end of the stick….


Ruby Says:

Wog Boy, I think we are definitely agreed that Mileva had a major impact on Einstein, the specifics of which will never be known. I just took exception to “the brain behind his work.” There were female scientists at the time who fought to have their work accepted, but the situation with Mileva was different.

All scientific discovery is a continuum and the history of science (and human achievement in general) is one of people building on the work of others (and sometimes outright stealing it) to move the needle forward. Often people (and interesting ideas) get trampled in the mix. But I think comparing Tesla and Edison to Einstein and Mileva is apples and oranges … and probably a discussion for a whole other board!

Nevertheless, it was kind of fun to be arguing about something other than tennis here ….


sienna Says:

mhh I always feel Federer is a bit easy on friends and players who have same age.
He mostly win but matches tend to be closer then should.
I saw something in his eyes some inner focus extra above his usual calmness and agrression.
If he can unleash the demon then I feel he would be unstoppable even by US open Cilic.

Sam Q will be good meassure for creating another peace of puzzle.
My hope is Nadal pulls through from his side.


wilfried Says:

@ Ruby
Agree with you that scientific discovery is a continuum. Albert Einstein owes for instance a lot to Hendrik Lorenz’s theories and work.
Don’t know anything about Mileva’s role unfortunately.


Wog Boy Says:

Ruby,
You are obviously an academic (lecturer), since you make a person very comfortable to agree with your arguments, thanks for a nice conversation.


calmdownplease Says:

`Some of us are so tired of hearing the kind of dreck CDP is espousing (as well as handling the family admin work / elder care as well as doing our own jobs), so it’s nice to hear someone else eloquent take up the cause…`

The `dreck` are the issues that you’re dragging into this.
I repeat I never said that women can’t be great. In big ways and small ways many are but they have to go out and do it for themselves (and they often do!) like everyone else and not hide behind or live through smug stone age platitudes about being secretly `great` behind their men, etc
It might help with the alimony payments but that’s about as far as it gets you, I’m afraid.
Anyway back to Tennis…..


madmax Says:

I don’t know where to post this but I think it’s important – about Novak.

I just wish that Boris could keep his mouth shut. Firstly, Novak is not responsible for what comes out of B’s mouth; I find it highly irresponsible of B to utter anything that could remotely reflect Novak’s behavior.

He is a coach after all, which “SHOULD” bring with it an essence of professionalism and tact, both of which are sadly lacking in Boris’ character. Really bad Boris. Seriously bad. B really does seem to want to hog the limelight. It’s almost as if he is reminiscing about his own glory days, 150 years ago!

Comments recently made by Becker sparked the debate which many London newspapers covered on their back pages on Monday, suggesting that he and Djokovic’s other backroom staff “have our ways” of signaling to the Serbian “to tell him it’s good or it’s bad”.

Section VIII (i) of the ATP’s rulebook states: “Players shall not receive coaching during a tournament match. Communications of any kind, audible or visible, between a player and a coach may be construed as coaching.”

But Djokovic, who said he had not discussed the issue with Becker before the Kohlschreiber match, felt he had been singled out for questioning about the issue unfairly. “I got this question already two times in the last couple days,” he said. “I don’t understand what I can say.


RZ Says:

@madmax – I wonder how much of Becker’s statement, if any, really has to do with coaching. Saying that there are ways of signaling if it’s good or or bad isn’t necessarily coaching – could be something along the lines of thumbs up, smiles, and applause to signify the good, and dour looks and eye rolls to signify the bad (reactions rather than instructions). But I agree that Becker should keep his mouth shut. He keeps making things uncomfortable for Novak in the press room.


RZ Says:

@chris ford1: “Mirka Federer makes life easier for Fed on the road, cuts down on distractions..but that is not to imply that Roger would never have been a star without her.”

Of course Roger would have been a star without Mirka – because some other great woman would have been there to take on that role! :-)


madmax Says:

RZ,

I agree. I think that Boris just likes to mix it up and stir it up as much as possible. I really have very little respect for him. Twice now he has put Novak into deep water with things that Boris has said, firstly that Novak and Fed don’t like each other – secondly that, on the sly, Novak can read morse on his Boris’ face.

Shut up Boris, let Novak continue to be as gracious a player as he has ever been.


st4r5 Says:

I don’t buy “behind every great man lies a great woman” line. It is there because it sounds nice, that’s all. The truth is far from it. Look at Stan the man…. he is good now after divorce!

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