Gilles Simon - "Roger Federer cost us 20 years"
Gilles Simon emphasized in an interview with the French newspaper Le Parisien that it would not have harmed tennis in France to celebrate other role models besides Roger Federer .
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Oct 29, 2020, 10:43 am
Gilles Simon is four years younger than Roger Federer - and presented the maestro with serious problems in the first few games against each other. That was back in 2008, however, after which Federer won all seven subsequent matches against Simon. Which is hardly the reason why Simon said in an interview with the French newspaper Le Parisien that it would be good for tennis if Roger Federer's records were broken. The 39-year-old has to share one, perhaps the most important, with Rafael Nadal after his triumph at the French Open: The two veterans currently hold 20 Grand Slam titles each.
"I have nothing against Roger Federer personally," said Simon. "But the image that we created of him bothers me." For decades, thought has only been given to raising and training the new Federers as possible. And Federer would have confirmed that with his way of playing, with his self-confidence. "It cost us 20 years."
Not a Federer, but not a Cilic either
"In France everyone wants Federer: parents, coaches. We don't even realize that Rafael Nadal won the same number of Grand Slams in very different ways. So it would be helpful if Federes' records were to fall because you finally pay attention to the others In France we weren't lucky enough to have a Roger Federer. But why didn't we have one like Marin Cilic ? "
This criticism, of course, is directed against his own generation with representatives such as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils. None of which came anywhere near a major triumph. The last Frenchman to succeed in one of the four biggest tournaments in the world remains Yannik Noah, who defeated Mats Wilander in Roland Garros' final in 1983.