81 Roger Federer Quotes

Roger Federer quotes

1. Oui, c'est moi [Yes, it's me].

2. He's like a cat with seven lives...Nine lives? How many do they have? [Questioner: Nine.]. Yeah, I thought so. Seven would have been easy.

3. Previously I always thought it was just tactical and technique, but every match has become almost mental and physical-I try to push myself to move well. I try to push myself not to get upset and stay positive, and that's what my biggest improvement is over all those years. Under pressure I can see things very clear.

4. All four of those are on grass, whereas I have to play some on a hard court!

5. It's just unreal, I'm shocked myself. I've played good matches here, but never really almost destroyed somebody.

6. It's a match for him to forget and for me to remember.

7. It's great...being there till the end, seeing an empty locker room and a full stadium.

8. Because people sometimes miss it, and sometimes they don't have it, they want it. And when they have it, they don't want it.

9. I would so like to be Lenny Kravitz.[1]

10. They dont know an unforced error from a croissant' - taking a dig at the match statisticians in French Open 2007.

11. I fear no one, but respect everyone.

12. It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

    Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.

13. You can never be bigger than the game and I think you always have to remember that.

14. For me, in my prime, I felt unbeatable. In Roger's days, he's unbeatable. It's really hard to put one guy over the other. Having said that, I think Roger is dominating the game much more than I ever did. I think he's going to go on and pass 14 and win 16, 17, 18 majors. I think he's going to break all records.

15. I had a taste of what the best is tonight and I think Roger has that extra gear. He has good volleys and he has this little backhand flick that honestly, I have never seen before... it's something that I didn't have. I am happy with my performance tonight. I hung in there right until the end.

16. If he is playing very good, I have to play unbelievable. If not, it's impossible, especially if he's playing with good confidence. When he's 100 percent, he's playing in another league. It's impossible to stop him. I fight. I fight. I fight. Nothing to say. Just congratulate him.

17. I played unbelievable, and if it was not Roger Federer on the other side of the net I would have won, 400 per cent.

18. He's an artist on this surface. He can stay back. He can come in. No weaknesses. Federer could win Wimbledon six, seven, eight times. He can play on any kind of surface, he is so complete. And if he continues the way he has been doing and stays away from injuries and still has the motivation, he will be the greatest player ever. I think the motivation is the key thing and he has the motivation to continue to play for another three or five years.

19. He's the most gifted player that I've ever seen in my life. I've seen a lot of people play. I've seen the (Rod) Lavers, I played against some of the great players-the Samprases, Beckers, Connors', Borgs, you name it. This guy could be the greatest of all time. That, to me, says it all.

20. He's probably the greatest player that ever lived.

21. He can beat half the guys with his eyes closed!

22. If you want to be a tennis player, then mould yourself on Roger Federer. I won three Wimbledon titles and I wish I could play like him.

    Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.

23. Federer is the best player in history, no other player has ever had such quality.

24. Yes, I really hit with him when he was 15, during a tournament in Basel, and I knew then he would be good, but not this good. If he stays healthy, it will actually be a miracle if he doesn't win more Grand Slams than Pete [Sampras]. The way he picks his shots is unbelievable. He is fast, he has a great volley, a great serve, great backhand, great everything. If I was his coach, what can I tell him? He is a magician with a racket. Even when he is playing badly, which is rarely, he can still do things with his racket nobody else can do.

25. Well, I think when I look at Roger, I mean, I'm a fan. I mean, I'm a fan of how he plays, what he's about, just the fact that I think he's a class-I don't know him personally, but seems like he's a class guy on and off the court. He's fun to watch. Just his athletic ability, what he's able to do on the run. I think he can and will break every tennis record out there.

26. I don't see anyone with a big enough weapon to hurt him. They're just staying back and Roger is able to dictate well enough. You just have to serve well and attack him.

27. I really consider myself top 5 player in the world, which it doesn't mean that I am close to Roger.

28. Oh, I would be honoured to even be compared to Roger. He is such an unbelievable talent, and is capable of anything. Roger could be the greatest tennis player of all time.

29. Roger's got too many shots, too much talent in one body. It's hardly fair that one person can do all this-his backhands, his forehands, volleys, serving, his court position. The way he moves around the court, you feel like he's barely touching the ground. That's the sign of a great champion.

30. The best way to beat him would be to hit him over the head with a racquet. Roger could win the Grand Slam if he keeps playing the way he is and, if he does that, it will equate to the two Grand Slams that I won because standards are much higher these days.

31. He's the best I've ever played against. There's nowhere to go. There's nothing to do except hit fairways, hit greens and make putts. Every shot has that sort of urgency on it. I've played a lot of them (other players), so many years, there's a safety zone, there's a place to get to, there's something to focus on, there's a way. Anything you try to do, he potentially has an answer for and it's just a function of when he starts pulling the triggers necessary to get you to change to that decision.

32. He hits that short chip, moves you forward, moves you back. He uses your pace against you. If you take pace off, so that he can't use your pace, he can step around and hurt you with the forehand. Just the amount of options he has to get around any particular stage of the match where maybe something's out of sync is-seems to be endless. His success out there is just a mere reflection of all the things that he can do.

33. There's probably not a department in his game that couldn't be considered the best in that department. You watch him play Hewitt and everybody marvels at Hewitt's speed, as well as myself. And you start to realize, `Is it possible Federer even moves better?' Then you watch him play Andy [Roddick], and you go, `Andy has a big forehand. Is it possible Federer's forehand is the best in the game?' You watch him at the net, you watch him serve-volley somebody that doesn't return so well and you put him up there with the best in every department. You see him play from the ground against those that play from the ground for a living, and argue he does it better than anybody.

34. He's a real person. He's not an enigma. Off the court he's not trying to be somebody. If you met him at McDonald's and you didn't know who he was, you would have no idea that he's one of the best athletes in the world.

35. I think there's-he's the main guy and then there's probably four or five of us that are-I don't know. Maybe we need to do just a tag team effort or something, join forces, you know, like Power Rangers or something.

36. He's probably the most talented person to ever carry a racquet around-the shots that he can come up with, the way he's kind of become a totally complete player. But I think off the court, it's huge. There have been a lot of good champions, but he's just classy. He is never high and mighty in the locker room or anything like that.

37. Roger is at the top, and he's the only person at the top, regardless of how much people want to make rivalry comparisons and this, that and the other. He's the best player in the game. There's no question in my mind.

38. [In the modern game], you're either a clay court specialist, a grass court specialist or a hard court specialist ... or you're Roger Federer.

    Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.

39. He hasn't changed a bit. He hasn't been arrogant in the locker room. He never is. That's great to see someone that does it with class. He doesn't intentionally get in anyone's face. He doesn't put people down.

40. He is on his way to becoming possibly the greatest of all time. But he's still human.

41. He put tennis, the bar very high-very high. It's incredible what kind of game he can play.

42. We have a guy from Switzerland who is just playing the game a way I haven't seen anyone-and I mean anyone-play before. How fortunate we are to be able to see that. If he stays healthy and motivated-and the wonderful feel he has stays with him-he is the kind of guy who can overtake the greatest.

43. I'd like to be in his shoes for one day to know what it feels like to play that way.

44. Roger Federer is the most talented tennis player I have ever seen. He has the capacity to become the greatest in history.

45. Roger Federer is the only guy I watch for his strokes. He is just beautiful. He can hit every single shot you could ever think of. John [McEnroe] and Ilie [Nastase] were very talented but you always knew there were some shots they couldn't hit. Not with Federer. I would go and watch him practice, he's so good.

46. Roger is a complete player. What he has, and it's not luck, is the ability to change his game slightly as to what his opponent's doing to him.

47. I thought Ellsworth Vines and Don Budge were pretty good. And Gonzalez and Hoad could play a bit, too, but I have never seen anyone play the game better than Federer. He serves well and has a great half-volley. I've never known anyone who can do as many things on a court as he can.

48. I've never enjoyed watching someone playing tennis as much as Federer. I'm just in awe. Pete Sampras was wonderful but he relied so much on his serve, whereas Roger has it all, he's just so graceful, elegant and fluid-a symphony in tennis whites. Roger can produce tennis shots that should be declared illegal.

49. He's the best player I've ever played against, full stop ... and he was just too good today.

50. I'm not sure if he has any weakness in his repertoir.

51. Maybe Roger Federer will rescue tennis. He plays like we did in the past.

52. He is capable of hitting shots which other players don't even think about trying. He has so many skills.

53. Maybe I could win more championships and prize money if Federer was not in the same age with me, but you have to know that there is something money can not buy-that's playing against Federer.

54. He is the best man in the game, on and off the court, and he has a great personality. I enjoy so much having opportunities to compete against him.

55. I am so proud to have him around. It is very pity that I am not able to play with Pete Sampras, but it's OK, I can see Federer on the tour. I could tell my grandson someday that I have competed against the greatest player on the planet.

56. Today I was playing my best tennis, trying lots of different things, but nothing worked. When you're playing like that and he still comes up with all those great shots you really have to wonder if he's even from the same planet.

57. Roger is like a good red wine, he's getting better with age...I think his big years will be when he is 26, 27, 28.

58. Roger hasn't even started to use a lot of his game.

59. He's Roger. What can you say?

60. Just about everything he does is pretty impressive. So, yeah, 50 titles at any age is impressive. 50 titles at 26 is incredible. 50 titles with 11 of them being Grand Slams, and I think now 14 being Masters Series, that's just phenomenal.

61. He's not just number one, he's the best in history. He has 12 Grand Slams and I'm sure he'll get the record (14). He can do it all. He serves very well, he has a very good forehand and backhand. He has no weak points.

1. I have a great record against anybody right now, so it doesn't really matter who I play in the final. I'll be in there as the big favorite. But I play my best in the finals, in the important matches. That's why I'm number one. There's no secret...I'm not overconfident, but very confident.

2. One or two years ago, I didn't know who I was on court and I used to swear a lot. But now I've learned how to cope and can therefore win 10 matches in a row. I want to be remembered as a good player rather than an idiot on court.

3. Hopefully I can just have another terrible year with only the one Grand Slam and that will be just fine.

4. I can walk around screaming, 'I have 17 Grand Slams. I have the record here or there.' When you can play for history and you do it, that's what is so really cool, is that you can then be compared to other greats or you've passed another great, even though it doesn't mean you're better than him. But it's just like that moment you've gone into the unknown where nobody else has ever been before.

5. Once you find that peace, that place of peace and quiet, harmony and confidence, that's when you start playing your best.

6. I always believe if you're stuck in a hole and maybe things aren't going well you will come out stronger. Everything in life is this way.

7. Seriously. I'm not playing to prove anything to journalists. I'm playing for myself, for my fans,to make people happy.

8. The serve, I think, is the most difficult, you know, in terms of coordination, because you got the two arms going, and you got to toss it up at the right time so.

9. I am now the Wimbledon champion, and I think that gives me even more confidence coming to the Olympics. And maybe in some ways, it maybe takes some pressure off the Olympics, because I already did win at Wimbledon this year.

10. Obviously, matches and all that stuff takes its toll on your body and so forth. But as you get sort of a bit older, a bit wiser, and a bit more experienced, you know also how to handle it.

11. My advice is you've got to make sure you wear the clothes and not [let] the clothes wear you. It's quite simple in a way. Don't wear something you totally feel uncomfortable with, but take some chances. Play around a bit. I felt very uncomfortable in suits when I was younger, so what I just started doing was wearing suits when I was going to dinner. I used to overdress a little bit so I got used to wearing suits. Now wearing a suit is like wearing a track suit for me. So it's all good.

12. Every season is different or special, Last year was the most emotional, the most special. Losing in Australia, coming back, winning Paris, Wimbledon, getting married, going through pregnancy, having the babies.

13. Success is a nice thing because it always means you've taken a step forward and it gives you a sense of pride, which in turn gives you confidence and experience-a positive circle, so to speak.

14. What I think I've been able to do well over the years is play with pain, play with problems, play in all sorts of conditions.

15. I haven't had a cramp since '99. That was my only time, in Davis Cup, when I was panicky. I was young. I'm very proud of that. Never pulled out. Never had cramps. Never lost very much because of fitness, especially later on in my career where I knew I've put in the hard work. I've done that. I've been very fortunate and clever as well to understand how I need to work, when I need to work. So I'm very happy to have stayed injury free for so long. I hope I can still maintain a few good years on the tour. I really hope so.

16. I am extremely proud and honoured to have beaten Pete's record as he was my childhood hero and I have always looked up to him.

17. It is always in my mind still that I can crush anybody. That's not an issue. But I think that is the same for most athletes. If you don't believe you can win tournaments anymore, then you can't do it.

18. I am a very positive thinker, and I think that is what helps me the most in difficult moments.

19. I have learnt to be even more patient.

20. My aim over the next few months is that I have a lot of points to defend in Miami and Hamburg, after that I can set my sights on No. 1.