Roger Federer: Winning The US Open Is A Big Priority For Me This Year

by Tom Gainey | August 24th, 2018, 9:45 pm
  • 17 Comments

It’s been 10 years since Roger Federer’s last US Open in 2008. And it the longest of the four Slams he’s gone without winning, so no wonder that the event he once won five straight years has become a priority for the now 37-year-old.

“It would mean the world to me,” Federer told the media today in a special Louis Armstrong press event. “It’s even a bigger priority this year, the US Open, than it has been last year. Not that it wasn’t last year, but Wimbledon was key for me last year.”

Federer didn’t play in New York in 2016 and said last year he wasn’t at his beat healthwise in the loss to Juan Martin del Potro.


“Obviously not feeling 100% last year was hard,” Federer added. “I knew from the get go it was not going to be possible for me to win. Everything would have had to fall into place. Guys would have had to retire against me or played the worst match of their life against me, and maybe then I would have had a chance, but later stages of a tournament it’s not feasible anymore.

“So also because that fact, because the last two years especially, two years ago when I couldn’t play at all, have just been difficult. I’m really excited and happy to be back here healthy again and feeling good and, you know, take it one match at a time and see what happens.”

Federer also shed some more light on his stunning loss to Novak Djokovic in the Cincinnati final, and you can tell he’s still not pleased with how he finished the tournament.

“I think I was not even close playing my absolute best in Cincinnati and still making a final is still a really good result,” Federer added. “The final was not good. I was not happy with how I played, but I think there was some tiredness that led into that. And Novak was good. So it was just a match, one you want to forget, no problem. But in the big scheme of things it actually was a good tournament for me, get all the matches under the belt, get match tough again so when I do show up here I actually feel I’m ready, and I am ready, and that’s what counts for me.”

Of course when the draw came out, Djokovic was placed in Federer’s section, so a quarterfinal rematch could be in store a week from next Wednesday.

“We have so many draws that happened throughout my career that you just take it on your chin and you’re, like, Okay, fine, that’s what it is,” Federer said.

“We can’t control it. I’m not in a quarterfinal match yet. I’m not in a second-round match yet. You just go back to — just the next few days are important. How am I feeling by my first-round match? That’s what the focus needs to be, and then the draw is what it is.

“Sure, you sometimes wonder, is it easier to play guys with not such a résumé like a Novak so early in the tournament? But because he won Cincinnati, I could have also played Novak in the fourth round if he wouldn’t have made a move in the rankings.”

And the 10 years of no titles in New York doesn’t bother Federer much.

“I don’t remember the years anymore, but the two semis with match points were tough against Novak,” Federer said. “The finals was rough here. I have won some and lost some close ones here in New York. And then, you know, some years I just lost against a better guy. And some years it just didn’t work out.

“I think there are explanations for everything, especially the last two years, and the other ones were just close, which is unfortunate, I guess. But for me it’s not puzzling. I won the US Open five times. So I stand here pretty happy, to be quite honest. It’s not like, God, the US Open never worked out for me. It hasn’t the last couple years, but it’s all good.

“I’m exactly where I want to be.”

Federer opens play on Tuesday against Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan. The two have never played.


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17 Comments for Roger Federer: Winning The US Open Is A Big Priority For Me This Year

ChrisFord1 Says:

Many years from now, people will be talking about the Federer-Djokovic as the highest quality rivalry and Djokovic-Nadal as the hardest fought one. Both are close in W-L. Fedal hype I think is just for 2006-2009, fueled by Nike and McEnroe constantly shilling it as the Greatest Ever with the Greatest Ever match. Truth is a couple dozen matches are on a par with Wimbledon 2008. And Fedal after that? Stats show there was no close rivalry.

A shame Fed and Novak meet in the QFs for the USO. But as almost always, it should be a good match.

The Barclay’s Championships will be huge. It could decide #1 and if it ends up Federer and Djokovic in the Final, it will be a Battle Royale. Fed wants 7 to Novak’s 5, Novak wants to tie Fed again at 6. And Rafa just wants to get on the board just once…it probably tops his tennis bucket list.


Madmax Says:

CF,

There are many matches which could be described as best ever, but what were you doing in 2008?

I can remember the myriad of emotions watching this match. Like no other. it was brilliant, amazing, suspenseful the whole way through.

You know my feelings about John McEnroe. Always trying to get onto the gravy train when it suits him. At wimbleon he is all over the TV like a bad rash. I guess we get a double dose of that with the USO.

I think it is Novak’s to lose, much as I would want Federer to win, I think it is a stretch too far. I hope he proves me wrong, as he has nothing left to prove. I am happy he is still motivated CF, because when he does leave, that will be an emotional time, for sure – but I have the recorded matches to look back on!

Barclays ATP is where Fed has always done well. Brillaintly in fact. Let’s take one tournament at a time. :-)


Mystic - Willow Says:

The Fedal rivalry is considered the best in tennis history, as these two are still to this day the two most loved players and still the biggest draw, and the 2008 Fedal final at Wimbledon is still to this day considered as one of the greatest finals ever, not all the greatest matches have to involve Djokovic, sometimes tennis is about other players too ….

And i think these days matches where Novak has the monopoly in a rivalry are considered great matches, and of course they are, and why wouldnt they be ?, the old Federer wouldve taken the old Djokovic to the cleaners ….


Mystic - Willow Says:

I Think its a matter of opinion which is the greatest rivalry or the greatest match, personally loved the 2008 w final, and the w qrts against Delpo, personally hated the w semi against Djokovic, and like wise with the 2013 FO semi, hate matches with a wouldve, couldve, shouldve , or an * attached to them ….


Van Persie Says:

Chris Chase would agree with ChrisFord1 regarding the best rivalry between Roger-Rafa-Nole:

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/08/federer-djokovic-nadal-ranking-big-three-four-rivalry-history-grand-slam

I prefer the Nole-Rafa’s battles.

The Rafa-Roger rivalry was not the most balanced.


Van Persie Says:

“hate matches with a wouldve, couldve, shouldve , or an * attached to them ….” ..NO, you don’t MW, since you write: ” the old Federer wouldve taken the old Djokovic to the cleaners ….”


Van Persie Says:

P.S. The old Federer did lose some matches to young Nole as well.


Van Persie Says:

I agree with one thing though, Roger and Rafa have far more fans than Nole. But I am not very interested in this stats.


Mystic - Willow Says:

VP Not a fan of either what im saying is the old Federer shouldve lol said took the old Djokovic to the cleaners many times, anyway the Fedal rivalry might not be that balanced but its still the biggest draw in tennis, due to the fact both are still the most loved no offence ….


Mystic - Willow Says:

I Must be be only poster that doesnt give a stuff about rivalries, i only care about my favorite winning titles, at the end of the day its what counts the titles, not who you beat ….


Van Persie Says:

I am not offended if someone tells me Djoko is not a s loved or liked as Fed and Rafa are. It is a reality.
Djoko did manage to beat them bot regularly , so I am more satisfied with that.

I used to root for Rafa in the past, when he played Roger…and there was not much of a pressure then. I always new: Rafa will beat Roger. And I enjoyed it…not the same I could said about Nole-Roger or Rafa-Nole battles, where you could not be so sure about the result (excepting 2015 when Rafa was in a bad shape). Even in 2011, when Nole won so many final in a row against Rafa, you could expect Rafa to turn the tables at one point.


Van Persie Says:

“I Must be be only poster that doesnt give a stuff about rivalries”…but here you are posting about rivalries.:)


Madmax Says:

Van Persie Says:
Chris Chase would agree with ChrisFord1 regarding the best rivalry between Roger-Rafa-Nole:

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/08/federer-djokovic-nadal-ranking-big-three-four-rivalry-history-grand-slam

I prefer the Nole-Rafa’s battles.

The Rafa-Roger rivalry was not the most balanced.

VP, if you have read the background about Chris Chase, citing him as a source, you might want to choose another more reliable one.


Van Persie Says:

Madmax,

Chace considers Rafa-Roger “the greatest”, but says Nole-Roger’s matches were more entartaining….so, Chris Chase is a bit confused.

My point was; he ranks Roger-Nole as the 1st in quality of matches.

I understand him a bit, he might be a Roger fan, so he could be ashamed to call as ranked 1, a rivalry, where one of the rivals leads the h2h by far.

My point was: Chase agrees with CF1.

I do not agree with them. I consider myself: Nole-Rafa the greatest of the 3 rivalries. Am not that ignirant to tell in history, I would offence other great rivalries in the history of tennis for sure. Borg-Connors; Borg-McEnroe or Connors-Mcenroe was as great as those for sure. But the Media was not as evolved back then, hence not the same hype.


Mystic - Willow Says:

VP im here discussing rivalries, passing the day away till i go out swimming this afternoon, also before i go away ;-)


skeezer Says:

“Chase agrees with CF1..”
And?


Truth Says:

Fed had crappy, overrated matches with fat Roddick, hewitt and baghdatis. These are what rivalries are made of.
Fedal matches are literally major borefests.
People from the “poor” nadal camp complain about djoker but Nadal tried to avoid many matches even though he was 90% fit to play. Fed had no trouble beating Nadal but when Djoker beat them, it “didn’t look real. Fed werw too old to be counted in the slam results.”

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