..continued ( part 1 is here: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=67906 )
Q. Did you learn anything about yourself these past two weeks, and did you learn anything about your game during this tournament?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I was playing to win, basically, so it wasn't how should I say? I wasn't trying out things, you know. I'm saying it's just too important to actually change up your game. In the beginning of the tournament I wish I could play a little bit more aggressive, but that somehow didn't really work for me, so I had to really be careful. I played a few tricky matches, you know, with Santoro and Rochus and Kiefer. I lost maybe my game a little bit throughout those matches.
But bounced back well with Nalbandian. It was a tough one against Hewitt.
So I really played to win. I'm happy that worked out. Especially today, I really started to feel like I can play more aggressive return, play a more defensive return. Today is really the first time I felt like I can actually use all my shots, and that wasn't the case up until this match today.
Q. How are you going to celebrate this title? Will you go back to Switzerland? What are your plans?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, well, that's the plan, you know. I've got Davis Cup back in Geneva coming in a little bit, ten days' time or so.
Yeah, I'm not making any detour. I'm going straight to Switzerland from here.
Q. New Yorkers are usually a generous crowd. Today did Andre's fan club bother you?
ROGER FEDERER: They were very generous for him, yeah (smiling).
Q. That's what I mean. Did it bother you?
ROGER FEDERER: No, it was all right. It was little bit more than I expected on his side, but, you know, that's I guess how it is.
But no problems. I still enjoyed every second.
Q. Do you feel yourself as the best player in the world?
ROGER FEDERER: Excuse me?
Q. Do you feel like the best player in the world?
ROGER FEDERER: Right now, yeah (smiling). But the best player of this generation, yes. But not nowhere close to ever, because, yeah, just look at the records that some guys have. I'm a little kooky (smiling).
Q. Twenty three wins in the final. Breaking the record of Borg and McEnroe. You are the best player ever.
ROGER FEDERER: Well, in this in this particular stats, yes. Also maybe final appearances and final wins, you know, the winning percentage, in Grand Slam finals. There's records I'm proud of. I'm happy I have some records because it makes it more fun for me, you know, not only to play against the other guys, sometimes to play against history occasionally.
I still cannot believe how well I've been playing over the last few years and that it just keeps on going, you know. It's incredible because last year was fantastic with the three Grand Slams and the Masters Cup and all the other titles. Now to back it up with an almost same fantastic season, you know, even have chance to maybe improve it.
But after the two first semifinals, you know, in Grand Slams this year, to come back and win the next two, it's for me quite a surprise no matter what.
Q. Are you going back to Thailand to play the Thailand Open?
ROGER FEDERER: Yes, I am.
Q. What do you expect for this?
ROGER FEDERER: Oh, it was a great tournament they had last year. I really enjoyed it. It was a tough field. We had a great semifinals with Paradorn and Marat and Andy in the semis, and myself.
I think I really like Thai people, you know, so I guess that's also one of the reasons why I'm going back there.
Q. A lot of people, when they first look at your game, just say, "Fantastic, this guy is the ultimate shot maker," and just put you way at the top. Now you're winning title after title, the weeks at No. 1, three Wimbledons, back to back, etc. and now Andre comes in and says you're the best he's ever played. At what point will you just say, "Okay, I'm the best"?
ROGER FEDERER: Hmm... well, he just played me, you know, so I don't know. If it changes if you ask him in five years' time, you know.
Him saying that I'm, let's say, better than Sampras, you know, I'm little surprised, you know. But, you know, he says what he thinks is right, you know. I don't think he would be lying in here. Yeah, I appreciate it very much. It's fantastic to be compared to all the players he's played, you know, throughout his career. We're talking about the best, you know, some are the best in the world or of all time. To be compared to those is great, you know. And it's still going, so I still have chances to get there and to improve.
Q. Was there ever a point where you didn't want to play tennis, or you had other interests in life and now when you reflect back on that are you glad that you stuck with it?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, there's always times I think in a player's career where he just wants to do something else or walk away from the game because too many losses, too much traveling, whatever, you know.
So I was joking around quite serious at one stage I thought, you know, just hang up my racquet and go away and just not be so frustrated. That was back in maybe '99, when I almost cracked the Top 100 and was stuck at 120 in the world for about six months and was just not good enough, basically, to make the next step. That was for me very hard. I really thought I tried to work extra hard on it. The work didn't pay off straight away.
But then, you know, when the wins come back and also the pleasure obviously comes. Everything is much easier.
So for me then to have cracked the Top 10 and win Wimbledon, that really gave me a boost. Now I look back and go, "What the hell did I do before? Why didn't I enjoy tennis before?" It's crazy that it needs a Wimbledon championships sometimes for me to realize that.
Q. Which of the younger players do you foresee can give you trouble in the near future, if any?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, we have quite a few around. I think the two guys who beat me this year, Gasquet and Nadal.
Q. The fact that this hasn't been asked 9/11, playing on the 11th of September, playing against an American legend, I mean, you could feel quite a bit of palpable patriotism out on the court today. Any special reflections?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, the date, obviously, is hard. Not only for Americans, I think for the whole world to see that.
But I think, you know, people came to see tennis, you know, and for me, I saw the greater matchup with Andre in the US Open finals more than the date. That is left for those who are very sad, you know.
I didn't lose any close friends, so for me it's different. But everybody was shocked, you know, obviously. I think once we were out there, it was a normal sort of thing, you know, just that they were backing him up like crazy, which I totally understand, because they wanted him to win so badly. That's the usual thing that happens.
Q. Did you learn anything about yourself these past two weeks, and did you learn anything about your game during this tournament?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I was playing to win, basically, so it wasn't how should I say? I wasn't trying out things, you know. I'm saying it's just too important to actually change up your game. In the beginning of the tournament I wish I could play a little bit more aggressive, but that somehow didn't really work for me, so I had to really be careful. I played a few tricky matches, you know, with Santoro and Rochus and Kiefer. I lost maybe my game a little bit throughout those matches.
But bounced back well with Nalbandian. It was a tough one against Hewitt.
So I really played to win. I'm happy that worked out. Especially today, I really started to feel like I can play more aggressive return, play a more defensive return. Today is really the first time I felt like I can actually use all my shots, and that wasn't the case up until this match today.
Q. How are you going to celebrate this title? Will you go back to Switzerland? What are your plans?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, well, that's the plan, you know. I've got Davis Cup back in Geneva coming in a little bit, ten days' time or so.
Yeah, I'm not making any detour. I'm going straight to Switzerland from here.
Q. New Yorkers are usually a generous crowd. Today did Andre's fan club bother you?
ROGER FEDERER: They were very generous for him, yeah (smiling).
Q. That's what I mean. Did it bother you?
ROGER FEDERER: No, it was all right. It was little bit more than I expected on his side, but, you know, that's I guess how it is.
But no problems. I still enjoyed every second.
Q. Do you feel yourself as the best player in the world?
ROGER FEDERER: Excuse me?
Q. Do you feel like the best player in the world?
ROGER FEDERER: Right now, yeah (smiling). But the best player of this generation, yes. But not nowhere close to ever, because, yeah, just look at the records that some guys have. I'm a little kooky (smiling).
Q. Twenty three wins in the final. Breaking the record of Borg and McEnroe. You are the best player ever.
ROGER FEDERER: Well, in this in this particular stats, yes. Also maybe final appearances and final wins, you know, the winning percentage, in Grand Slam finals. There's records I'm proud of. I'm happy I have some records because it makes it more fun for me, you know, not only to play against the other guys, sometimes to play against history occasionally.
I still cannot believe how well I've been playing over the last few years and that it just keeps on going, you know. It's incredible because last year was fantastic with the three Grand Slams and the Masters Cup and all the other titles. Now to back it up with an almost same fantastic season, you know, even have chance to maybe improve it.
But after the two first semifinals, you know, in Grand Slams this year, to come back and win the next two, it's for me quite a surprise no matter what.
Q. Are you going back to Thailand to play the Thailand Open?
ROGER FEDERER: Yes, I am.
Q. What do you expect for this?
ROGER FEDERER: Oh, it was a great tournament they had last year. I really enjoyed it. It was a tough field. We had a great semifinals with Paradorn and Marat and Andy in the semis, and myself.
I think I really like Thai people, you know, so I guess that's also one of the reasons why I'm going back there.
Q. A lot of people, when they first look at your game, just say, "Fantastic, this guy is the ultimate shot maker," and just put you way at the top. Now you're winning title after title, the weeks at No. 1, three Wimbledons, back to back, etc. and now Andre comes in and says you're the best he's ever played. At what point will you just say, "Okay, I'm the best"?
ROGER FEDERER: Hmm... well, he just played me, you know, so I don't know. If it changes if you ask him in five years' time, you know.
Him saying that I'm, let's say, better than Sampras, you know, I'm little surprised, you know. But, you know, he says what he thinks is right, you know. I don't think he would be lying in here. Yeah, I appreciate it very much. It's fantastic to be compared to all the players he's played, you know, throughout his career. We're talking about the best, you know, some are the best in the world or of all time. To be compared to those is great, you know. And it's still going, so I still have chances to get there and to improve.
Q. Was there ever a point where you didn't want to play tennis, or you had other interests in life and now when you reflect back on that are you glad that you stuck with it?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, there's always times I think in a player's career where he just wants to do something else or walk away from the game because too many losses, too much traveling, whatever, you know.
So I was joking around quite serious at one stage I thought, you know, just hang up my racquet and go away and just not be so frustrated. That was back in maybe '99, when I almost cracked the Top 100 and was stuck at 120 in the world for about six months and was just not good enough, basically, to make the next step. That was for me very hard. I really thought I tried to work extra hard on it. The work didn't pay off straight away.
But then, you know, when the wins come back and also the pleasure obviously comes. Everything is much easier.
So for me then to have cracked the Top 10 and win Wimbledon, that really gave me a boost. Now I look back and go, "What the hell did I do before? Why didn't I enjoy tennis before?" It's crazy that it needs a Wimbledon championships sometimes for me to realize that.
Q. Which of the younger players do you foresee can give you trouble in the near future, if any?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, we have quite a few around. I think the two guys who beat me this year, Gasquet and Nadal.
Q. The fact that this hasn't been asked 9/11, playing on the 11th of September, playing against an American legend, I mean, you could feel quite a bit of palpable patriotism out on the court today. Any special reflections?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, the date, obviously, is hard. Not only for Americans, I think for the whole world to see that.
But I think, you know, people came to see tennis, you know, and for me, I saw the greater matchup with Andre in the US Open finals more than the date. That is left for those who are very sad, you know.
I didn't lose any close friends, so for me it's different. But everybody was shocked, you know, obviously. I think once we were out there, it was a normal sort of thing, you know, just that they were backing him up like crazy, which I totally understand, because they wanted him to win so badly. That's the usual thing that happens.
