Roger Federer is ready for his Wimbledon assault - and has the proverbial bigger balls to prove it now.
The Roland Garros champ told a small group of reporters in London that he's feeling "more a man now" after winning in Paris despite his ethereal game deserting him at times during his run:
I feel like I've definitely become more a man now than in the last few years since I'm not scared of five setters anymore. I can handle the pressure.
I had to show my fighting spirit more than ever and it's nice to have had a chance to show those qualities because before everybody was just used to my dominance. It's good to know for myself that I can also do it differently.
True enough. Fed's dominance dance is done but he found a way to win when his game was teetering and the pressure was mounting after Rafa + Nole's stunning exits. By the final, it was seemingly a done deal.
So even though he comes in as the second seed, who does he think is the fave to take the Wimby crown?
I do think I'm the favorite actually, with the success I've had. I came close again last year. With no disrespect to the other players ... I feel like I've got the game, I've got the mental approach and I've got the experience to win at Wimbledon many more times.
Well, okay then.
(image: getty)
King Arrogance has returned, god help us all.....
ReplyDeleteHmm. I'm not convinced. But then again I said that about Fed and RG, so...
ReplyDeleteextricate head from arse fed
ReplyDeleteSo, basically, he admits he was a whimp (which everybody already knew).
ReplyDeleteThe next step would be to admit he was lucky at RG, not that he suddenly grew a pair.
"I had to show my fighting spirit more than ever..."
ReplyDeleteMaybe his Wimby surprise outfit will be he's going dressed as a cheerleader? Megaphone, pom-poms, saddle shoes, bobby socks, and a short, twirly skirt ought to do it...
Vamos Roger!!!Kick some ASS!
ReplyDeleteHey Rich -- WB! Missed U!
ReplyDeleteOh, classic Fed. I should like this guy, everyone else seems to, I just CANNOT. He's just weird -- every time he says something I just get the feeling that this guy is so out of touch with every other person on the planet or reality. I think he truly does believe the tennis world, possible even the whole world, revolves around him. It's icky!
-Tin
PS - Rich, did you see the pics of Shrieka unveiling the winning designs in London, what is with that nurse's uniform she is wearing. Plus, weird bottom -- I know the word is banned from this site, but it was borderline "skort" again. Seriously Shrieka -- my eyes, my eyes!!!
It's so sad to see a grown-up man who never understood a concept of not tooting his own horn.
ReplyDeleteIf you're good, people will praise you. It's in poor taste to remind them constantly.
He does actually say he thinks he's the favourite? OUCH. Big fat arrogance alert, seriously.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Tin here: I really try to like Roger, I honestly do. He does make it hard sometimes though. But the adorable crying helps (hey, maybe he thinks he's a man now because he avoided big weeping drama during the RG trophy ceremony this time? LOL).
Gee, when Andy Murray comes out and says he can beat Rafa and Roger, hence believing he can win Wimbledon, everyone applauds him for his confidence. But as soon as Roger says something he is called "arrogant". A bit biased, isn't it? Perhaps it's because people can't stand it when a player they despise so much and deemed to be on the verge of collapse is still able to win a Grand Slam event. I don't think there is anything wrong with what either players have said. It's merely a sign of confidence. I also find it quite interesting how most posts are about this interview. In another interview, Roger claimed that Murray was a serious contender for Wimbledon and complimented his progress and improvement in the game. A player who gives praise where it's due is "arrogant"? I think not.
ReplyDeleteTin: couldn't have said it better myself. There's an arrogance there that SERIOUSLY turns me off. Barf.
ReplyDeleteFederer says in another interview that he sees 3 players that are the favourites for Wimbledon. Rafa - being the defending champion; himself - because he won the thing 5 times; and Andy Murray - because of his great form lately. What is wrong with saying that? If you don't think you can win, why bother playing?
ReplyDelete"...to win at Wimbledon MANY MORE TIMES"??
ReplyDeleteHow many more - 10? He cannot even be reasonable and just say he HOPES to win ONE more time or FEW more times.
In addition to his ridiculous narcissism, the guy is delusional as well. He's 28, FFS, how much more will he play, let alone win things?
Oh, well, he is his own most ardent fan. And fans are by definition unreasonable fanatics.
I think you may have misquoted Roger there. The "winning many more times" part. I remember reading the original article and it actually said that his experience in winning many more times at Wimbledon gives him an advantage against the other guys. Which is true. He won Wimbledon 5 times which is MANY MORE TIMES than the other players in the tournament. He NEVER said that he thinks he can win many more Wimbledon titles. It's funny how people can twist the words of others to prove to themselves and others that what they believe is true. That being "Roger is an arrogant fool even if his peers have voted him with the ATP Sportsmanship Award for the past 5 years because I know more about him than the people who actually have to play against him".
ReplyDelete*yawn* wake me when he stops talking about himself...
ReplyDeleteAs of 15th June RF was leader in betting odds, AM second, RN third. Imagine this could change depending on RN practice run at Hurlington with RN shortening (if he pulls up ok) - so agree with earlier poster have no problem with RF or AM being confident and verbally projecting it (positions which are agreed with by people willing to put their money down).
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree. I find that roger's quotes get taken out of context so much. more than anybody else. murray and djoko say they can beat anyone all the time. nadal says it as well. however when others say that they can beat anyone they are confident. when roger says it - he's arrogant. i dunno, at least he actually has reason to say these things, we, on the other hand, do not have the right to say he's over, done, and he has proven everyone wrong 2 weeks ago. mind you, while i like all the players and respect them (i used to play pro tennis so i know many of them and i know what hard work it is), NOBODY, not even nadal, who tends to like to play it humble, has said that they are not the favorite. it's a normal thing to say. even when nadal praises federer, he also adds that he is working hard and can beat everybody. which is true. as what federer said is.
ReplyDeleteWhat a man. GO ROGER!!
ReplyDeletebarcelona2012 said...
ReplyDelete*yawn* wake me when he stops talking himself.
LOL, I know right? It's like night and day, him and Rafa, isn't it?
Listening to Roger makes me appreciate how the Nadal family raised Rafa all the more. Somebody seriously needs to write a book about that family, "How to raise the perfect sports champion."
The is no "perfect sports champion" - not Rafa Nadal, not Roger Federer, not anyone.
ReplyDeleteI don't see anything wrong in what he said. Why is everyone so annoyed? What's wrong with being confident? Until last year he had won it five years in a row, he does have more experience of winning it than everyone.
ReplyDeleteAnd why is everyone constantly writing him off? In his WORST year he got to three slam finals, won one and got and olympic gold medal and ended the year out at world no. 2. All players would kill (bar nadal) would kill for that. Anyone would think the guy drop from world no.1 to 1001 the way folks are carrying on. It's like you people have only been watching tennis since Fed came around. Anyone remember Pete and his one slam a year and not getting to the final of other slams? Nobody said he was heading for a decline. Jeez.
so true! and i still can't figure out what was wrong with what fed said. and yea yea when rafa speaks he is humble and stuff. first of all, rafael nadal is a lot different when he speaks to the press and when he speaks privately. federer says what he feels and doesn't try to play the humble underachiever role. having said that, this guy is respected by EVERYONE on the women's and men's tour. he is considered to be the classiest and one of the nicest guys. the fact that he believes in himself and vocalizes it is just the way he is. and i don't think there is anything fed could say to make the people that don't like him like him all of a sudden. were he to play it humble and say he is not a favorite people would turn and say "yup, the guy's over, he doesn't even believe in himself any longer, he doesn't deserve to be the best". let's just keep in mind that this guy is older than all his competitors and is still achieving remarkable results by ALL standards. i mean i get it, it does get frustrating when someone is so great and also so eloquent, intelligent, classy. so those who don't like him need to find something to hate about him. before it was that he is over and can't handle the pressure. now that he won RG, it's the fact that he is arrogant.
ReplyDeleteCan we please leave the family out of this? To say his parents did not raise him well is an extremely insulting comment to his parents. Do you not realise that? Or was that the purpose of your comment? Do people honestly have to stoop that low to degrade a player and their family simply because they don't like them?
ReplyDeleteI really don't see where is all this hate is coming from. What i take from his interview is that he concedes that he is no longer as dominant as he was. Therefore, he has to fight for every win now and is just glad that he is able show his fighting spirit which he didn't need to when he was dominant. Because of this, he feels he is in a good position in to win Wimbly.
ReplyDeleteI mean he tells it as it is, while Nadal takes the 'try to be humble' path. What should Fed say then? He doesn't think he'll win? Why play then? And why Nadal, who many of you are seemingly behind, respect Roger so much if roger was such an arrogant fool?
Here we go again... Give him a break!
ReplyDeleteGood old Roger rather should kiss Söderling's ass for the double gift on RG.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how hard I try to see, I still don't find these comments arrogant. On the contrary: he just admitted he knows he's never going to play as good as he played in his dominant years and for the rest of his carrier he needs a different approach. Which he just discovered in RG.
ReplyDeleteTruth to be told, a Fed who is a step slower than he was and much less constistent, but simply refuses to lose, is a frightening concept for the rest of the field, IMHO.
- Kathleen
"i mean i get it, it does get frustrating when someone is so great and also so eloquent, intelligent, classy."
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!
"now that he won RG, it's the fact that he is arrogant."
Rog has been arrogant LONG BEFORE he won RG!!! I think maybe it's because he's so great and so eloquent and so intelligent and so classy. Zzzzzzzzz. Spare me.
Get over it, guys! Fed is full of himself and people pick up on that! DEAL!
Yep, everyone picks up on his arrogance... Except for his peers that have voted him with the ATP Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for 5 years straight. Oh, and except for the fans that voted for him as Favourite Player for 6 years consecutively too. But I'm sure everyone else picks up on his arrogance.
ReplyDeleteHmmm is that sarcasm I detect, Anon 12:51? Or are you just being arrogant about his arrogance?
ReplyDeleteAnd let's be clear: I didn't say "everyone." You did. I think to make it sound more dramatic. Well done! And I'm sure EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS PEERS voted for him, right????????? Chill out.
i find this kind of funny. people fighting over whether or not federer is arrogant or not. i guess that is because there is nothing else not to like about him, so the people that prefer rafa and can't simply accept that rafa is not yet as accomplished as federer choose to capitalize on one thing that they believe can make federer look not good in enough, in this case "arrogance".
ReplyDeleteI say who cares? I love tennis and enjoy both players, but I have to be honest and admit that federer is an amazing player that will go down in history and nadal still has a long way to go (and with his injury prone style of tennis, he might not get there).
today Ali is remember as one of the greatest athletes in the history of sports. he was one heck of an arrogant guy, but does anyone think of that? nope...everyone thinks he is the GOAT. same for roger.
and i must agre with anon 12:51, while maybe not all his "peers" voted for him, these are legitimate awards in the sport of tennis that he has been receiving consistently. if anything, they definitely say more than a fragment of a press conference that he did.
ROFL. I love it how every not entirely positive or praising post on DTL about Roger ends up in a comment fight. So funny.
ReplyDeletewow going through all those comments takes forever, I was debating whether to comment or not but here goes:
ReplyDeletefully agree with everyone!! Roger is such a respectable athlete. When sum1 of his high status in the sport goes to say that he feels he can win Wimbledon, he is considered arrogant...why...
everyone says they can win...go into a tournment with a losing attitude and more likely u will lose.
wht would u say if he didn't say he was a contender for the title...if he left his name out ppl would think...how does tht make sense u got a career grand slam n all this n u dont think u can win.
words are totally misunderstood. and the hate for him is just soo sad, serisouly.
Whether Fed is good player is not the issue. He is just ridiculously selfcentered twat whenever he speaks, that's all. And that's not manly behaviour.
ReplyDeletePls, do not compare him with Ali - there's not a whit of Ali's charming, witty, playful bragging in all Federer's surly self-praise.
that's just because u like ali and don't like federer (calling him a twat simply proves that it isn't so much what he says or does, it's simply him that u have a problem with). people that rooted for ali's competition probably didn't find his bragging charming, witty, nor playful.
ReplyDeleteThat however is besides the point. what ali said never comes up these days, it's his achievements that speak for him. same is and always will be the case for federer.