Great interview with Roger

[malakas]

BUT I found the transcript

Interview
Federers «riesige Vorfreude»
Roger Federer steigt optimistisch und «mit riesiger Vorfreude» in das Grand-Slam-Turnier von Wimbledon. «Ich habe jetzt einige Tage auf Rasen gespielt und das Gefühl war herrlich», sagte der Schweizer im «sportpanorama» von SF.

Der 14-fache Grand-Slam-Gewinner wurde vom «sportpanorama»-Publikum begeistert empfangen - und gab die Blumen umgehend zurück. Federer zeigte sich gesprächig und gar noch lockerer als gewohnt. Die einwöchige Pause («die längste seit Monaten») hat ihm sichtlich gut getan.

Natürlich wolle er den letztes Jahr an Rafael Nadal verlorenen Titel zurückgewinnen, sagte Federer eine Woche vor dem Start in Wimbledon. «Aber es wird hart. Es ist ein gefährliches Turnier», warnte er. Ob man ein Spiel gewinne, liege manchmal nur an wenigen Punkten.

«Hoffe, dass Nadal fit ist»

Er hoffe, dass Nadal trotz seiner Knieprobleme in Wimbledon teilnehmen könne. «Man will sich ja mit seinem Hauptrivalen messen», so Federer. Über Nadals Gesundheitszustand wisse er nichts näheres. «Er hat mir zum Sieg bei den French Open gratuliert. Zum Zustand seiner Knie sagte er nichts - was ja auch verständlich ist», meinte der Schweizer.

Der nun vollendete Karriere-Slam mache ihm das Leben «schöner und einfacher», glaubt Federer. «Sonst hätte ich immer dem Sieg in Paris hinterherrennen müssen.»

Stress mit Nadal, Djokovic und Murray

Dass er bis zu seinem Triumph in Madrid Mitte Mai eine Durststrecke ohne Turniersieg überwinden musste, habe ihn kaum verunsichert: «Ich war ja immer bei den Besten.»

«Stressiger» sei gewesen, dass er gegen seine wichtigsten Rivalen Nadal, Novak Djokovic und Andy Murray nicht gewinnen konnte. «Da beginnt man sich zu fragen warum. Zum Glück fand ich immer eine Erklärung.»

«Comeback Kid als Nummer 2»

Die weniger erfolgreiche Phase habe auch etwas Positives gebracht: «Ich konnte mir beweisen, dass ich ein Kämpfer bin.» Während einer gewissen Zeit hätten die Leute den Eindruck gehabt, er siege ohne gross trainieren oder schwitzen zu müssen. «Jetzt bin ich eine Art 'Comeback Kid' als Weltnummer 2 - eine lustige Situation», amüsierte sich der Baselbieter.

Über seinen Status als Superstar sagte Federer, das Leben sei für ihn heute einfacher als früher. «Wenn man jung ist, sucht man noch seinen Charakter, den Durchbruch. iIt den Jahren beruhigt man sich. Ich musste aber an mir arbeiten - auf und neben dem Platz.» Als junger Spieler habe er nach missglückten Punkten oft geflucht. «Ich musste lernen mich zu entspannen.»

Dominatoren als Vorbilder

Auf die Frage, wen er als grössten Sportler betrachte, sagte Federer, er habe grossen Respekt vor Tiger Woods, mit dem er auch befreundet ist. «Er hat so viele Golf-Rekorde gebrochen und den Sport dominiert.» Eine Dominanz, wie sie auch Formel-1-Pilot Michael Schumacher oder Motorrad-Ass Valentino Rossi ausgeübt hätten, inspiriere ihn, gab der 27-Jährige zu.

So he says,that Nadal has offered his congratulations,but didn't tell him anything about his knee.Federer wants him to play in Wimbledon.He wants to win the Wimby back,but warns it's a difficult tournament.
Even if he hadn't won many tournaments for such a long period,he didn't worry because he was always one of the best.When he couldn't win against Nadal,Murray or Djoker,lately,he began wondering but he always found an explanation.He feels now it's a funny situation that he's a comeback kid ,and this hard time has helped him because he found out that he was a warrior...

My german isn't the best.:/

 

[eowyn]

there is much more in the tv show. goes about half an hour. there is also an interesting part from rod laver about federer…..i'll try to find a way puting it on youtube

 

[malakas]

there is much more in the tv show. goes about half an hour. there is also an interesting part from rod laver about federer…..i'll try to find a way puting it on youtube

thanx a lot!And if you can,post a little bit of the most important things he says in the interview ,because well..swiss-german is..:? hehe

 

[120mphBodyServe]

Wait what? You can't be vegetarian and be a professional tennis player?

Edit: On another note, the mommy part was cute.

No, no you absolutely cannot be a vegetarian and a professional athlete, PERIOD..
Now get over it.

 

[joeri888]

I wonder whether his emotions during the AO final had anything to do with the tense moments and the excitement about becoming a father but not having told anyone just yet. You know.. must have been a strange two weeks for him if he found out about that time.

Other question, during which tournament was Federer jr. 'made'?

 

[origmarm]

Very interesting on the vegetarian part, in particular the bit about Marc Rosset. I wonder why Fed was a vegetarian, it's unusual to see one start eating meat at that age.

As to Athletes as vegetarians, there is a section here:
http://www.wellsphere.com/wellpage/vegetarian-diet-for-athletes
featuring articles.

Some very successful athletes have indeed been vegetarians though the evidence would suggest that the odds are somewhat stacked against you but not as significantly as many believe.

 

[RalphNYC]

I like that he picks Rafa's forehand. That was a good question.

 

[AprilFool]

No, no you absolutely cannot be a vegetarian and a professional athlete, PERIOD..
Now get over it.

Vegetarian athletes (incomplete list):

Dave Scott-greatest triathlete in the world
Paavo Nurmi-set 20 world records distance running,9 Olympic medals
Bill Pickering-world record for swimming English Channel
Roy Hillagan-Mr.America-bodybuilder
Stan Price-world record bench press
James&Jonathan deDenato-world record-distance butterfly swimming
Murray Rose-3 gold medals(1956),once considered greatest swimmer of all time

Ruth Heidrich, Three-Time Ironman
Debbie Lawrence, 5k Record Holder
Jim Kaat, Baseball Player
Tony Larussa, Baseball Manager
Hank Aaron, Baseball Player
Bill Pearl, Bodybuilder
Marv Levey, Buffalo Bills Coach
Robert Parnish, Center (Bulls)
Joe Namath, Football Player
Lawrence Phillips, Football Player (49ers)
Steve Bellamy, Founder of the Tennis Channel
Surya Bonaly, French Figure Skater
Brendan Brazier, Ironman Triathlete
Sally Eastall, Marathon Runner
Andreas Cahling, Mr. International Bodybuilder
Carl Lewis, Olympic Track Star
Edwin Moses, Olympic Champion
Leroy Burrell, Olympic Champion
Murray Rose, Olympic Swimmer
Pat Reeves, Power Lifter
Bill Manetti, Powerlifting Champion
Ed Templeton, Pro Skateboarder
Mike Manzoori, Pro Skateboarder
Brian Anderson, Pro Skateboarder
Jamie Thomas, Pro Skateboarder
Forest Kirby, Pro Skateboarder
Brian Sumner, Pro Skateboarder
Andrew Reynolds, Pro Skateboarder
Jen O'brien, Pro Skateboarder
Matt Field, Pro Skateboarder
Chris Lambert, Pro Skateboarder
Brad Staba, Pro Skateboarder
Geoff Rowley, Pro Skateboarder
Rick Mc Crank, Pro Skateboarder
Moses Itkonen, Pro Skateboarder
Sergei Trudnowski, Pro Skateboarder
Laban Pheidas, Proskater
Steve Berra, Proskater
Anastasia Ashley, Surfer
Martina Navratilova, Tennis Player
Bille Jean King, Tennis Champion
Peter Burwash, Tennis Champion
John Salley, Toronto Raptors
Lucy Stephens, Tri-athlete
Stan Price, World Record Bench Press
Killer Kowalski, Wrestler
Juan Del Potro,tennis pro
Tiger Woods, part time raw diet

 

[the_drunken_master]

wow, what an amazing interview. what is lost in english that he finds easier to say in german, you really got a sense of Roger the man, not roger the tennis great

 

[goforgold99]

The interview was in German translated by one of the RF.commers.
Enjoy and please,no trash-talking and trolling whatsoever.

BaZ: Roger: How is it going after two weeks of playing in the dust and clay?
I am used to it now. The clay does get in my eyes for sure. The socks become very red. It is better on Grass or Hard court where these things dont occur.

2: What was the first thought that you had at Match point in Paris?

It was something simple. I created this. It was one of the most important victories of my career. It was a weight that was lifted. Certainly the first Wimbledon victory will remain always special, it gave me all that I have. It made me popular, gave me the self-confidence, was the realization of my childhood dream. All my idols did not win in Paris. Therefore Roland Garros is different. But this first win is immense.

3: did you think during a game once of the money?

Once. In Shanghai, in the first masters when I had qualified before the last group game for the semi finals. The win against Johansson was no longer important, but there was 150,000 francs for the victory! I thought almost in every rally: 150,000 francs! 150,000 francs! What can I buy? Everything! It was hell to think that in every shot of the money. That never happened.. fortunately for me.

4: Are you ever ashamed of your tears?

No, not ashamed. It was embarrassing perhaps a little. the camera likes to focus closely on the tears. It is good to show emotions. I am actually happy that I do.

5. what would you want to have to be the perfect tennis player - without Roger Federer.
Serve, I take Andy Roddick, in addition David Nalbandians backhand, Rafael Nadals forehand and Lleyton Hewitts fighter qualities. There is no longer so many Volleys today, but I would say Stefan Edberg, Patrick Rafter or Tim Henman. And in the mental area, I take probably once again Nadal. This doesnt guarantee success, But it would be a very difficult to play against this opponent.

6: Who can you not be without as a tennis player

I could make actually all alone. But not so professionally and certainly not so well. Longest person I collaborate with is Pierre Paganini; he was certainly a very important man in my early career.

7: How do you spend a perfect day?

Without tennis: Either with friends, home - or with Mirka at the beach, on the Maledives: Romantic dinner maybe. Maybe to the Spa, massages watch the sunset and enjoy the waves.

8: With whom would - except your woman - you get stuck gladly in the elevator?

Then probably with my mommy.. (yes, it says mommy) lol .awwwww

9: Who are your best friends?
Reto Staubli was my best man. Then there is Yves Allegro, Marco Chiudinelli, also Severin Lüthi.

10: Your favorite food?
I could eat Italian every day. I also like Japanese. And somehow my number 1 is always the Swiss food: Rösti, raclette, fondue - if I am at home.

11: What do you not like?

I was a vegetarian until I was 16. Then I went into the steak House during the 1998 Davis Cup with Marc Rosset. When I said that I eat no meat, he was surprised! He ordered me a small piece of every kind of meat out of the kitchen. I tried, some fit me - and so began that.

With Mirka on vacation in Thailand I discovered the seafood, and the fish - and today I eat actually everything. As a vegetarian, I experienced hard times at junior tournaments.

12: What do you do when you first wake up?

I snuggle with Mirka.(awwww...) That comes before I get out of bed. Then I go shower,brush my teeth and shave.

13: Your biggest flaw?

I used to always be late. It is today better. And sometimes I delay things that I could decide immediately.

I loved this interview. :wink:

I read the first few answers. Not a good translation (i'm from germany)

first question was about the dust getting into the lung for example..

 

[eowyn]

thanx a lot!And if you can,post a little bit of the most important things he says in the interview ,because well..swiss-german is..:? hehe

someone else did it finaly its in four parts here is part one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHtH2zwygCs

and here is the translation of first part in english (until second time laver) the rest will follow .... and sorry for maybe bad english...

SF: and here he is. Welcome Rf……
Rf: thank you, thank you. bit of good mood here (smiles don’t know if you can say like this^^)
Sf: yes good mood in here (smiles to)
Rf: very nice thank you all
Sf: Roger Federer every body stands in the audience, its like in Paris isn’t it?
Rf: yes very similar. Thank you very much for this standing ovation, äh it is äh also last week in Paris it was unbelievable with the crowd. And it doesn’t stop, I like it of course (smiles)
Sf: (to the audience) ok you can easily go on for a while (smiles to)
(cheering again)
Rf: no no its ok now
sf: ok ok we also want to talk a little bit… after the tournament you said: I need a few days to handle it. And now after a week could you do it?
Rf: slowly. It’s of curse a very interesting time also to stay at home for a week what is very uncommon. In the last view months I was max four days at once at home. its very god to relax, go thru the mails. Phone calls with friends etc. see all this pictures again, Reading the newspaper. It does very, very well. But in this time I also like to come back on tour to meet al the other players, also I have a lot of friends there and to see how they think about. It’s not that a need more congratulations (smiles). But to be in this very familiar sphere….
Sf: everybody ho looks and is listening to you can see you are very happy now and to have won RG at least it is like the dot on the I, it makes your life once again better?
Rf: it makes it better , easier I think, otherwise I would be running for this title for years people would have made more and more pressure to me. They would say: you can win as much Wimbledon and us open titles as you like. As long as you didn’t have this one, for us well you’re not the very best one etc. its not that I’m looking fore that but it is …..
Sf: but you are now (the very best)?
Rf: that’s speculation, but after al this years one time it comes to your mind that it would never happen. So it happens this year that’s fantastic
Sf: is it also a little bit of “now I have shown you all, all of you ho said it would never happen I could try it for ten years”?
Rf: no I don’t think it was that much like this. May be next year or the year after it would come that far (that people think like this). So I won just in time, may be people say I don’t play as god as before. but the last 5 years the results are showing constancy. 20 times in a rule in the sf etc. that showed me there is not really a problem, ok I hade problem with the back we all know that. Important was for me that it works also well in the smaller tournaments but this wasn’t really as I thought the better it is as it is at the grand slam tournaments.
Sf: in al the reactions you get were there something you did not expect something blows you out of you’re shoos?
Rf: well hm ….there where a lot of politicians and other sportsmen also really famous ones, how rote me a sms or called to tell me how much they where happy for me….
Sf: there where also very special reactions last week I read on a Letter To The Editor in a newspaper “now Federer is the greatest because my daughter say January Federer march April….”
Rf: wow I got it into the Calendar after the stamp I got (Federer was the first person alive ho got his own stamp in history of swiss post)
Sf (to the audience) it is undisputed greatness when you are part of this elusive circle ho won al of the four majors like rod laver, ho by the way did it two times in a calendar year…
(video with rod laver good for me it’s in English)
sf: rod laver knows what he talks about…yes this drop shot; you never stop learning also after that many victories.
Rf: yes and I have to be honest. I newer thought that I have to learn this, I could it a bit before especially on the backhand side. For me a drop shot was always a sort of panic reaction, you just do it when you have no idea what else to do from the baseline. So it was more a head thing not to use it. But after I saw everybody starts to play that fare behind the base line you do have no chance to past them so you have to take them back to the baseline and for that the drop shot is perfect. Also that I could bring it from both side was very good and after a few times I could do it with great confidence.
(pathetic part and than rod laver again unfortunately with German synchronisation but I think you can understand it)

 

[kOaMaster]

I'm gonna uplaod this interview and add english subtitles later tonight if noone did it until then

that was the one I was talking about

 

[malakas]

someone else did it finaly its in four parts here is part one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHtH2zwygCs

and here is the translation of first part in english (until second time laver) the rest will follow .... and sorry for maybe bad english...

SF: and here he is. Welcome Rf……
Rf: thank you, thank you. bit of good mood here (smiles don’t know if you can say like this^^)
Sf: yes good mood in here (smiles to)
Rf: very nice thank you all
Sf: Roger Federer every body stands in the audience, its like in Paris isn’t it?
Rf: yes very similar. Thank you very much for this standing ovation, äh it is äh also last week in Paris it was unbelievable with the crowd. And it doesn’t stop, I like it of course (smiles)
Sf: (to the audience) ok you can easily go on for a while (smiles to)
(cheering again)
Rf: no no its ok now
sf: ok ok we also want to talk a little bit… after the tournament you said: I need a few days to handle it. And now after a week could you do it?
Rf: slowly. It’s of curse a very interesting time also to stay at home for a week what is very uncommon. In the last view months I was max four days at once at home. its very god to relax, go thru the mails. Phone calls with friends etc. see all this pictures again, Reading the newspaper. It does very, very well. But in this time I also like to come back on tour to meet al the other players, also I have a lot of friends there and to see how they think about. It’s not that a need more congratulations (smiles). But to be in this very familiar sphere….
Sf: everybody ho looks and is listening to you can see you are very happy now and to have won RG at least it is like the dot on the I, it makes your life once again better?
Rf: it makes it better , easier I think, otherwise I would be running for this title for years people would have made more and more pressure to me. They would say: you can win as much Wimbledon and us open titles as you like. As long as you didn’t have this one, for us well you’re not the very best one etc. its not that I’m looking fore that but it is …..
Sf: but you are now (the very best)?
Rf: that’s speculation, but after al this years one time it comes to your mind that it would never happen. So it happens this year that’s fantastic
Sf: is it also a little bit of “now I have shown you all, all of you ho said it would never happen I could try it for ten years”?
Rf: no I don’t think it was that much like this. May be next year or the year after it would come that far (that people think like this). So I won just in time, may be people say I don’t play as god as before. but the last 5 years the results are showing constancy. 20 times in a rule in the sf etc. that showed me there is not really a problem, ok I hade problem with the back we all know that. Important was for me that it works also well in the smaller tournaments but this wasn’t really as I thought the better it is as it is at the grand slam tournaments.
Sf: in al the reactions you get were there something you did not expect something blows you out of you’re shoos?
Rf: well hm ….there where a lot of politicians and other sportsmen also really famous ones, how rote me a sms or called to tell me how much they where happy for me….
Sf: there where also very special reactions last week I read on a Letter To The Editor in a newspaper “now Federer is the greatest because my daughter say January Federer march April….”
Rf: wow I got it into the Calendar after the stamp I got (Federer was the first person alive ho got his own stamp in history of swiss post)
Sf (to the audience) it is undisputed greatness when you are part of this elusive circle ho won al of the four majors like rod laver, ho by the way did it two times in a calendar year…
(video with rod laver good for me it’s in English)
sf: rod laver knows what he talks about…yes this drop shot; you never stop learning also after that many victories.
Rf: yes and I have to be honest. I newer thought that I have to learn this, I could it a bit before especially on the backhand side. For me a drop shot was always a sort of panic reaction, you just do it when you have no idea what else to do from the baseline. So it was more a head thing not to use it. But after I saw everybody starts to play that fare behind the base line you do have no chance to past them so you have to take them back to the baseline and for that the drop shot is perfect. Also that I could bring it from both side was very good and after a few times I could do it with great confidence.
(pathetic part and than rod laver again unfortunately with German synchronisation but I think you can understand it)

thank you thank you thank you!! You're amazing eowyn to be put in so much trouble!!! and your english is perfect!Much better than mine -not to mention my german!!

I liked this interview especially in the end how he explains,why he started using the drop shot now and the joke about the calendar hehehe :mrgreen:

Go Rogi!!:- D

 

[malakas]

I'm gonna uplaod this interview and add english subtitles later tonight if noone did it until then

that was the one I was talking about

yes please if that's possible! thanx in advance kOaMaster!

 

[kOaMaster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDsJ7ABMo08

first part...

 

[eowyn]

acording to koamasters great work i don't go ahead right now with further translation.