Dubai: Between 2005 and 2010, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer shared 21 of the 24 Grand Slam titles. The testament to this is that the Nadal-Federer rivalry in tennis has spanned longer the Becker-Edberg or the Sampras-Agassi rivalries. No wonder Federer was quite eager to land up with his Obi UAE Royals teammates in New Delhi for his first match in Season Two of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) on Saturday.
However, on his regular pit-stop in Dubai, Federer made time to practice at his regular tennis courts along the Jumeirah coastline and then spend a few moments with the media. In New Delhi, he played Nadal again, and lost. On Tuesday, Federer will go head to head against Andy Murray and renew another rivalry. Below are the former world number one’s thoughts from a media interaction.
Q. What exactly are your expectations from the final three rounds that you feature in at this season’s IPTL?
A. Last year when I went to India for the first time, I did not know what to expect. But it turned out that India was special in every way for me. I enjoyed every moment, both on and off the court. It is because of this factor that I felt that India was something I needed to do again. I quite like the thinking behind the IPTL. It’s not about just a hit and a giggle tournament. It has an exhibition face to it and at the same time people want to watch some serious tennis as well. In itself, the IPTL is creative. It has new ideas and then there is the team aspect that brings all of us players together on one platform. Very often there may be the tendency for some of the players to feel lonely, and an event like the IPTL can help a lot.
Q. Do you feel that you can be the world number one again?
A. Well, I have never focused on that aspect. I have been the world number one, so I don’t see any reason why I need to strive and be the world number one yet again. Honestly, I am happy as long as I am focused on my game. And after reaching at this stage it is more about winning tournaments and not about chasing what ranking you would like to be.
Q. You’ve had a fantastic 2015. How does this season compare with some of your season especially when you were unbeatable?
A. There are years when I have won three Grand Slams. But this season I reached two Grand Slam finals and this is among the best seasons I’ve had after a short time. So I would give myself a score of 10. But more than this, I am pleased with 2015 as I have been competitive, aggressive and healthy and I thought that is the great part of my game at this stage. 2013 was tough for me as my back was not good. In contrast, 2014 I was happy with the way I played and that was the start of things. In the past two years, and with Stefan [Edberg] as my coach, I have had eleven titles altogether. This has been due to the creativity of both my coaches Severin Luthi and Edberg.
Q. Last year, the UAE Royals ended runners-up. What do you reckon your chances are for this season?
A. I definitely think the UAE Royals can win the second season of the IPTL. Dubai has always been a happy hunting ground for me. I feel pumped up playing for the Royals. As players we need to see how we can contribute and make the IPTL stronger and allow it to grow.
Q. What will be plans for 2016?
A. The Olympics is very important to me. Every Olympic Games have been an amazing experience for me personally. I carried the Swiss flag on two occasions and that was great. I met Mirka at the 2000 Sydney Games. I won the doubles gold with Stan [Wawrinka] and that was yet another amazing experience. Honestly, I have cherished the moments I have spent at the Olympic Games. For 2016, I will go in three-month sections. Let us start with Brisbane and go up to Indian Wells, and then we will see.