“Maybe I’m not at the confidence level that I had when I was 24, when I was winning 40 matches in a row,” Federer said, “but I still feel I hit a bigger serve, my backhand is better, my forehand is still as good as it’s always been, I volley better than I have in the past.”
The main draw of the Western & Southern Open began Sunday night, following the qualifying rounds for the men’s and women’s events.. Federer, the tournament’s second seed and the second-ranked player in the world, met the media Sunday afternoon.
Despite the tournament being in the middle of the hot, dog days of summer, Federer said it’s “easy going” and enjoys returning to Cincinnati, probably more so than other tournaments.
“It’s always been a very successful tournament for me, and naturally you’re going to like it more than others to be quiet honest,” he said Sunday during press conference at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. “I think it’s very much a tournament that’s well run in the sense that you’re welcome here and it’s like a family to an extent.”
The crowds in Cincinnati annually rally behind Federer, but John Isner, the top-ranked American in this year’s Western & Southern Open, says that’s not unique because “he’s just so great for the sport.”
“It’s everywhere,” he said. “He’s the biggest draw in our sport. It doesn’t matter if it’s here, or Shanghai or London or Melbourne – the guy, he’s a legend, he’s a living legend. He’s the greatest asset in our sport.”
Federer said the best way to express his gratitude to everyone involved in the tournament is to thank them as you hold the tournament trophy in Centre Court.
“You get to know the faces when you come back, and importantly for the fans and the players, and for you too,” he said. “The people really want you to have a great experience here and they want to welcome you and want you to have a good time.”
Federer is one of many players over 30 who continue to do play well on the ATP tour. He said he’s not sure why so many of the sport’s elder statesmen — David Ferrer (33, No. 7), John Isner (30, No. 12), Stan Wawrinka (30, No. 5) — are succeeding at an age where many predecessors had retired, but it’s probably because there isn’t the push from younger generations of players.
“I’m surprised to see how many are still actually playing (of those he competed with prior to turning pro) hang in there and still going,” Federer said. And while his generation of players were very good, he said “that generation that usually pushes players out wasn’t as strong as maybe other ones.”
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