Roger Federer: There is no need to step over people or bully others

Many people believe you have to “hard and tough to win”, but Roger Federer has proved that you can be nice and respectful to people and still win.
Having won a record 20 Grand Slam titles and spent a record 310 weeks at the top of the world rankings, many rate Federer as the greatest tennis players of all time.
The 37-year-old, though, is not only highly rated for his tennis, but also for the way he conducts himself on and off the court and he explained during an interview with Gulf News that you can reach the top without “stepping over people”.
“Look, it came to me naturally, and it was also a bit of upbringing,” he said. “There is no need to step over people or bully others… make them feel bad or small.
“People often say you have to be hard and tough to win, but I feel that’s not me. I have been told in the past that you are too nice to be successful, but I think I have been able to do both by being respectful to people.”
He added: “I have had also to take tough decisions along the road, but in a nice way. You also have to remember why you are in such a privileged position, I can’t thank enough my fans, my team, the tournament officials — so many of them have touched my life along the way.”
At the age of 37 he doesn’t have much left to prove, but years of experience has taught him he needs to entertain tennis fans.
“I see myself primarily as a tennis player but then the magnitude of whole thing … when you show up somewhere, you see the queues for tickets and all the love and affection of the fans,” he said.
“It makes you realise that may be you are more than a tennis player — an entertainer or an ambassador of the game if you like. I do what I can to inspire people by shaking hands at a meet-and-greet or by saying something in an interview.
“I want people to think that this Roger Federer gives the crowd 100 per cent and not do anything half-hearted, so that they can come back to a tennis arena again.”
More from Tennis365:
-
-
Exclusive: Fed Cup stars could inspire rise of British women’s tennis, says Jeremy Bates
-
Tennis betting preview: 12/1 Stefanos Tsitsipas to take down Dubai
-
QUIZ! Can you identify these ATP 250 tournaments by logos alone?
-
-
Who is most likely to take a 2019 men’s Grand Slam from Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer?
-
Latest
-
Tennis News
Nick Kyrgios escapes conviction despite pleading guilty to assaulting ex-girlfriend
Nick Kyrgios saw the common assault charge against him dismissed.
-
Davis Cup
Great Britain braced for ‘complicated’ Davis Cup qualifier in Colombia
Matches will be played at an altitude of 2,600 metres and with pressureless balls.
-
WTA Tour
Heather Watson ends her quarter-final drought with win in Thailand – ‘It was just survival of the fittest’
Heather Watson will now face Chinese seventh seed Xinyu Wang.
-
Tennis News
Toni Nadal shares thoughts on fans’ hostility toward Novak Djokovic as well as Rafael Nadal’s future
Toni Nadal on why Novak Djokovic has so many detractors.
-
Tennis News
Stunning LTA numbers confirm tennis participation is booming in Britain
New figures have revealed that there has been a 47 per-cent increase in tennis participation in clubs and parks across Britain.
-
WTA Tour
Aryna Sabalenka’s 2023 tennis schedule: Where is she competing next and her season so far…
A look at Aryna Sabalenka’s possible tournaments for the 2023 season.
-
News
Serena Williams welcomes Tom Brady to ‘retirement world again’ as she opens up about her final match ‘regret’
“Sad to see you go,” Serena Williams told Tom Brady.
-
Tennis News
Elina Svitolina urges IOC to ‘stick to banning Russian and Belarusian athletes’ for Paris 2024 Olympics
Elina Svitolina wants a united front when it comes to sanctions imposed against Russia and Belarus.
-
Tennis News
Marion Bartoli latest to criticise Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov – ‘I just can’t take that any more’
Marion Bartoli basing her opinion on Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov on incidents she witnessed herself.
-
Australian Open
Australian Open viewing figures need context amid Novak Djokovic snipes
TV viewing figures for Australian Open may appear to be disappointing, yet raw figures only reveal part of the story.