Roger Federer on motivation at the Laver Cup: "When Rod Laver watches, you want to impress"
Co-founder Roger Federer made a clear statement about the seriousness of the Laver Cup.
by Florian Goosmann from Geneva
last edit: Sep 22, 2019, 03:19 pm
Where is the Laver Cup, how serious is it to be taken? There are two questions that are hotly debated in the (social) media these days. Roger Federer made a clear statement on Saturday.
A legitimate question, according to the Maestro - when asked that even a player like Nick Kyrgios was more focused than ever. "I believe in the players - that we want to play good tennis and win. After all, we can't play a tie like in other sports. ”
Federer referred to the athlete gene par excellence. “Every time you win, it's a good feeling. And you have to take the victories with you when they come. "
Federer: "Everyone wants as much support as possible"
But what surprised him was the team spirit on the bench. "I thought it might be difficult to keep the players out. Thought that maybe they'd rather go to the hotel and do their thing, keep their rhythm. That one would not be so much a team that it would be more forced. ”However, everyone was“ super happy ”to spend the time together. "Everyone feels the importance of having as many players as possible to support them."
He was the least concerned about the quality of tennis on the court. And for a reasonably conclusive reason: “If you let a top player play in front of 20,000 people, he certainly won't fool around. Then he wants to play his best tennis, ”says the 20-time Grand Slam Champ, who despite his modesty knows about his status. "Then you also have players like me, people like Björn and John here who remind you that you are trying to get your best tennis."
And ultimately the namesake is also there. “When Rod Laver is still watching,” says Federer, “you want to impress him too.”