Roger Federer takes it to the limit
At the age of 38, Roger Federer trains less, but more effectively.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Dec 29, 2019, 08:31 am
Quality instead of quantity - a welcome change of everyday training routine for athletes over the age of 30. Or as in the case of Roger Federer: now even the 38th
The Swiss also train differently than before, although possibly harder. In an interview with AP in Dubai , he was even surprised that "I got up the stairs so well". His calves "just kill me", said Federer after starting fitness training after a two-week vacation. And the shock to the body hits him hard.
When he was younger, he worked six or eight days in a row without giving himself a break. Different now: In Dubai, Federer took a 48-hour break after two days of training. The "wave" of this type of training - training, then break, then training again - gives his body the opportunity to recover. And, in contrast to the past: maybe even giving that certain something more. "Otherwise you might hold back a little, because otherwise you have no idea how you feel on the day," said the 20-time major champ.
Federer prefers not to go skiing anymore
He also adapted his sporting activities a little bit away from the tennis court. For example, he now keeps away from skiing after he fell ill in 2008 and was subsequently diagnosed with Pfeiffer's glandular fever. "I thought: Okay, that's a sign. I quit skiing because I didn't want to hurt myself at the end of my career. Maybe I have four good years ahead of me." That was now twelve years ago ... And it showed how long he had been thinking: Maybe he still had four years. Maybe three more. Maybe two more ...
Most recently, Federer had spoken of the assumption that he would still be able to play good tennis in 2023 - although this was probably not meant as an announcement that he would continue to play on the tour for so long.
Federer starts his 2020 season at the Australian Open. The first Grand Slam tournament of the year starts on January 20th. The Swiss flight to Australia is scheduled for January 9th.