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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2018

Roger Federer

Wimbledon, London, England

R. FEDERER/L. Lacko

6-4, 6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. The serving was sensational today. At one point it said you were averaging 70 seconds or less per service game. How do you manage to read the game so well and kill off the points so quickly?
ROGER FEDERER: I mean, it's on certain days it goes better than others. Sometimes your serve matches up better against certain players. There's no doubt about that, as well.

I think important is when you want to serve well is your point-for-point mentality, saying maybe the first point is as important as a breakpoint, so the concentration is the same. Trying to remember all the things you've done throughout the entire match, what has worked, what hasn't worked.

I don't need that much time, especially after a short previous rally to go through all of that. Just reassess everything very quickly. I think I can do that very good. Then it's more than just serving. It's also first-strike tennis, serve and first shot, serve and taking the right decisions as you go along, in the rallies as well.

As the match went on, I was able to do that better and better. I guess you're referring to it. That's how it felt anyway. I don't know the statistics. Second and third set, that worked out very well. I think I took the right decisions, as well, from that first set.

Q. What do you consider to be the biggest factors that make grass your most successful surface?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. I don't know. Maybe it's that it helps my slice. That maybe the footwork on grass comes easier to me than for other guys. I'm not sure. Then because I have a decent speed on the serve, and I can serve kick and slice. Maybe also the grass helps me just a little bit to get a few more free points than what it would on some other surfaces.

I'm not sure.

Q. Footwork specifically, what do you think the key is to your footwork on grass?
ROGER FEDERER: I think maybe my balance. I think I have good balance. I rarely slip. I rarely fall down or lose my balance in general. On grass it's the same.

For me, if I'm playing on grass or not, it doesn't make that much of a difference. It comes natural. When it's natural, you don't think about it. It just happens. Yeah, I think I must say balance.

Q. What is your response to Serena Williams saying she's not going to stop playing tennis until you've stopped playing tennis?
ROGER FEDERER: Okay (smiling). Yeah, I guess it's a good thing. I'm not sure. I don't know if it's a good thing for her, because maybe she wanted to play longer or shorter. I don't know.

But I'm sure she was joking, so... Let's be honest for a second.

Q. Would it be fair to say you're putting a smile back on the face of Swiss sport with your success today?
ROGER FEDERER: Is it that bad in Switzerland right now? I don't think so.

Q. I don't know. I can't afford to go there.
ROGER FEDERER: One day you could (smiling).

Q. I know you're a big soccer fan. What have you made of the World Cup defeat yesterday? Which team will you be rooting for now? Surely there's only one answer to that.
ROGER FEDERER: Is there (smiling)?

Yeah, I don't know, I was disappointed yesterday. I expected more from the team. But that's the thing with knock-out. When you have to bring it like it was the finals every match, it's 11 guys at the same time. It can't just be three guys, eight guys. It needs to be everybody at the same time doing the same thing. That's what is hard, I guess, in a collective like that.

Yeah, I felt it's an opportunity missed. I think we had our chance against Sweden. In the end, I thought they were maybe a little bit better. We didn't create enough chances. At the end I do believe the one who usually creates a bit more deserves it, as well.

It's not sour, the taste in the end. I think we deserved what we got. Maybe we're not part of the best eight in the world. I'm not sure.

Q. Any advice you can offer them, a pep talk maybe?
ROGER FEDERER: Now the pep talk is too late anyway.

I think important is that they understand you got to bring the energy every single day. It's throughout the year. It's not just in the World Cup, last 16, or quarters. That's why you need to bring it every single day.

When you step out on the pitch, or on the court in tennis, in practice, in the match, you have to always try to be be able to as high as possible. Then it's actually not a big deal to bring it also in a match like yesterday. I don't know if, for a fact, that was the issue.

What I know from knock-out play throughout the course of my career, you can't afford to come in lethargic or not thinking. You just think it's going to happen by itself, just because you play one good match the day before. You're only as good as your next performance really.

I don't know who I'm going to root for yet. I have to check it out. But my favorite team is gone, so it won't be the same any more for me.

Q. A lot of the giants and big servers are doing well. Reached finals. Do you think that's a good thing for tennis? Do you think they will be more dominant once your generation has gone?
ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I think Marin, you're probably talking about del Potro, Zverev, Cilic, and Isner.

Q. Anderson.
ROGER FEDERER: Anderson, yeah. They've been doing very well. I think they're probably doing the right things and it's clicking at this time. Honestly, I think also guys are taller nowadays. Before the average was maybe more my size. Now I feel like the average is going up of the guys that are playing on tour.

It's natural maybe that we have more guys doing better. I think the bigger guys are also taking care of their bodies better, whereas in the past tall guys used to struggle after a while. Maybe they are also picking more wisely their schedules now.

I don't think it's necessarily going to be a trend. I do remember, my mind goes back that far, that Rafa dominated the clay. He's not the tallest guy, biggest server out there. I think it just happens to be this way right now. But they deserve their success that they have because they did play very, very well so far.

Q. When you win a game at Wimbledon, they say 'game Federer.' When one of the women wins, they play 'game Miss Wozniacki,' or 'game Mrs. Williams.' Would you prefer to be 'Mr. Federer' or something else more formal?
ROGER FEDERER: Why is that actually?

Q. That's their tradition. They have to figure out who is married and who is not married to get that correct.
ROGER FEDERER: Is that right? Okay.

Q. Wimbledon knows everyone who is married in the women's draw.
ROGER FEDERER: When somebody is married they say?

Q. 'Mrs. Williams.'
ROGER FEDERER: If you're not married?

Q. 'Miss.'
ROGER FEDERER: Oh, I didn't know that.

Yeah, no, so for me, I'm happy if they say whatever they say, as long as it is 'game' and my name somewhere, and not 'game' and the other name (laughter). That makes sense, right?

Q. Whenever we speak to people in the queue year on year, there's hundreds of people here to see you. Does it ever cross your mind when you're on the court you have this sea of red and white?
ROGER FEDERER: Yes, I do. Every time when I see an article or a video, especially which I enjoy a lot, I see something about the queue, I hear what they say, how excited they are about Wimbledon. They get asked, Who are you here to see? Your name drops, it's always very exciting, I must tell you.

I always have this sort of dream or this thing, I just want to like walk past them and speak to these people, to hear their stories. That's something I've always wanted to do. Then you're like, Nah, maybe not. Who knows how they're going to react.

Especially on day one, I feel like I'm very much aware of it. I don't know if the queue is going on all the time. Yeah, so I'm more aware especially on day one, the Monday, because I feel like everybody knows the defending champion will play then, whereas the second or third day, you're not sure who is going to play on which court, what time, and so forth, whereas the first day is very obvious.

Q. For the second day in a row, they've scheduled two women's match and one men's match on Centre Court. Were you happy to see that? Is that in some way a worry for the men's game?
ROGER FEDERER: I actually didn't know about it until I walked off the court and I asked a friend of mine from the Royal Box, Who is playing after me?

Serena.

Is there a men's match after that?

No, that was it.

I was like, Oh, there's only three matches.

You would think maybe there is room for more tennis on the court. But no, they know what they're doing, so it's all good.

Q. Curiosity about Uniqlo. How many shirts, shorts and socks?
ROGER FEDERER: Why are you asking me? You know all the numbers (laughter).

Q. I know the other numbers.
ROGER FEDERER: You know more.

Q. I'm joking.
ROGER FEDERER: Me, too (smiling).

Q. For instance, you have now not a white one, there is Uniqlo or not?
ROGER FEDERER: Excuse me? It doesn't say Uniqlo all over but it is a Uniqlo shirt.

Q. You go to a new tournament. Is there a lot of stuff, a truck?
ROGER FEDERER: You know.

Q. How many, more or less? 20? 30? 50 shorts?
ROGER FEDERER: No, no. Probably would have to have 15 shorts maybe. They probably wouldn't give them all to me just in case something happened, got away, they have some in reserve. For the shirts, maybe they have 20 to 30. I get probably 15, then they keep some themselves, as well. Socks the same. I have 12 racquets. I have also same amount of headbands probably and wristbands. It's always about the same amount of numbers.

Yeah, then I think with practice stuff, I don't know yet. In the past it also was a bit excessive. I actually always said, I don't need 20 pair of practice shorts. It's okay to have like six or seven.

Q. Now that it's all white?
ROGER FEDERER: No. As you can see, because of the ranking you can play with color, too. Bit of a change.

Q. What has been the key to maintaining your level so long in your career?
ROGER FEDERER: I think physically to stay, you know, up there. Especially now the last five years, I think that's been the number one key. Keep on improving, with my coaches, fitness coach, trying to find new ways to keep practice, the matches entertaining.

So, yeah, I mean, it's been good. I've never fell out of love with the sport. I think that's been helpful, too. Kept the tour fun. Obviously at one point since the last nine, 10 years now, since we have children, trying to make that work in some shape or form with my wife. It's been a lot of change in the last 15 years, no doubt about it. I think we came through it well.

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