Stefan Edberg - "Teaching Roger Federer wasn't difficult"
Stefan Edberg was not able to win a Grand Slam title as Roger Federer's coach. The great Swede also played his part in the steady improvement of the maestro's game.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Nov 14, 2020, 04:32 pm
What great scenes were those at Wimbledon in 2017: Roger Federer had just won his eighth Wimbledon title and received the most coveted trophy in professional tennis on Center Court. With this, Federer made his way through the clubhouse to the balcony, from which he was supposed to greet the fans. And passed Stefan Edberg and his wife along with others. You could almost have read from the warm embrace of the two-time Wimbledon champion Edberg that the two still worked together as a coach-player couple.
At that time, however, that time was already over, Edberg and Federer had parted on good terms. Together they were not granted a major victory, but Edberg Federer was able to help in a difficult phase of his career, as he revealed to KickserveRadio.com.
Edberg beats Becker twice in the Wimbledon final
"2013 was Federer's toughest year," said Edberg, who won Wimbledon in 1988 and 1990, both times in the final against Boris Becker. In 1989 he lost the final on Church Road against Becker. “Roger had back problems, somehow lost his way and was completely out of his shoes. He needed new inspiration. Maybe he was thinking about how to develop his game. "
Good for those who can fall back on a basis like the meanwhile 20-time winner of a Grand Slam tournament. “There was no way to win games from the baseline. The older you get, the more difficult it gets. ”The club change that Federer made in 2013 was also a decisive factor. "He wanted to be a more offensive player like me."
Federer without a competition match since January
“Teaching him is not a difficult thing, he is a very good listener. He knows what to do and learns very quickly, ”continued Edberg. The 39-year-old from Basel is currently preparing for his next comeback in Australia in early 2021. He played his last competitive match there: In the semifinals of the Australian Open against Novak Djokovic at the end of January 2020.