It would be useless to deny that there is great uncertainty about the current conditions of Roger Federer, who played his last match at Wimbledon losing in the quarterfinals to Hubert Hurkacz. The former World No. 1 missed the Tokyo Olympics due to a recurrence of his operated knee, citing the same reason for the most recent absences in Toronto and Cincinnati.
Given the premises, Federer will also be absent from the US Open in three weeks. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has played 19 matches from the beginning of 2020 to the present, a figure that speaks volumes about the difficulties he faces.
His best results of the season came at the Slams, with the round of 16 at Roland Garros and the quarter-final at Church Road. Federer’s parents, Robert and Lynette, were interviewed by ‘Blick’ magazine a few days before Roger’s birthday.
“Roger Federer has always been a fun, active guy who had a lot of friends around him,” recalls mom Lynette. “Her desire for him to play sports was immediately noticeable. It didn’t matter if he was skateboarding, biking, ping pong or squash, he just liked to move.
It was not an obligation for him unlike many other children, he did it with pleasure. People have always been amazed at his exceptional talent and the ease with which he hit the ball from a very young age. However, we would never have imagined such success,” she admitted.
His father, Robert, repeated: “We never had in mind that he would become a champion of this sport.”
Carillo praises Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz has earned plaudits from many in the tennis world following his incredible exploits as a teenager.
Mary Carillo, a former tennis player and now a tennis broadcaster, had a lot of praise for the 19-year-old Spaniard. Speaking to the New York Post, Carillo said Alcaraz’s passion and tenacity reminded her of Rafael Nadal.
“He said he grew up idolizing Roger Federer but he reminds in temperament much more of Rafa, playing every point for what it’s worth. Down love-40 serving, he still thinks he should win that game. He’s that guy.
He plays with the joy of an 8-year-old who wants to show you he can do 100 pushups,” Carillo said. Carillo marveled at not only the Spaniard’s raw speed but also his footwork that aided him in moving around the court so swiftly.
“This could be recency bias because I’ve been at this a long time. I swear to God, Carlos Alcaraz is the fastest player I’ve ever seen. That’s not even hyperbole. It’s remarkable. It’s not just foot speed, it’s footwork.
The way he manages the court and reacts to anything short and just gets back in onto the court. He moves so well in the corners, gets in and out of them and takes the offensive so quickly. He’s a marvel.’”
