“Roger Federer always sees himself as the favourite” Retired German Pro Alexander Waske reveals how the Swiss legend is always ‘acting’


“Roger Federer always sees himself as the favourite” Retired German Pro Alexander Waske reveals how the Swiss legend is always ‘acting’

Alexander Waske and Roger Federer

Former World No. 1 Roger Federer continues to keep the tennis fans waiting for his return to the Tour having not played for nearly 10 months now. Post his quarter-final exit at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, Federer was diagnosed with another knee injury that required surgery so that he could live a normal life as the damage was extensive.

Going for a second surgery in two years, Federer continues to be in rehab and is expected to make a comment on his comeback soon as per his previous statements when he was scheduled to plan for his comeback in April as per his recovery. As the tennis world misses the brilliance of the 20-time Grand Slam champion, retired German player Alexander Waske shared an interesting story about Roger.

“I once confided to Roger Federer that I often had cramps when I entered the court as a favourite. I was having a hard time dealing with that kind of pressure and I wanted to know his point of view on it. He replied that he always tried to see himself as the favourite so that he could have the same feeling every time. Every day is different, but Federer has found a way to feel relaxed under all circumstances.

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“He explained to me that lightness on the pitch is strongly linked to the player’s mood. Roger relaxes through his pre-game routines: he takes a shower, wraps his ankles, packs his rackets and so on. I think Federer is comparable to a Hollywood actor, it’s like he has borrowed something from the world of acting,” said Waske in his recent interview with Tennis Magazin Germany.

Alexander Waske’s record against Roger Federer

Roger Federer | Tennis News | FirstSportz
Roger Federer

The two players met only once during their careers at the 2002 Swiss Indoors. Federer was coming into the tournament as a runner-up in the previous two editions while Waske had entered the main-draw as a qualifier. Federer won the match 6-3, 7-6(1) to advance ahead before losing in the semi-finals.

Federer is currently the most successful player at the Swiss Indoors with 10 titles but had to wait till 2006 to win his first. Since 2006, Federer has reached the finals every year except for 2016 and is currently the 3-time defending champion of the tournament as the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled due to the Pandemic. If Federer recovers good, he can defend his title when the tournament is held in October later this year.

Also Read: Roger Federer graces the Rolex Gala with Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn and Jazz legend Michael Bublé 

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