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August 26, 2005
Federer and Agassi: Mutual admiration of U.S. Open champs
By Steve Wilstein, Associated Press
NEW YORK --
An intimate, get-to-know-you-better dinner with Roger Federer was, as
might be expected, a relaxed but elegant affair, even if it was served
in the middle of a shoe showroom.
White tablecloths and napkins. Sparkling silverware and stemware. Soft music on the stereo.
"I asked for lounge music," he said with an easy smile.
He
sipped white wine and selected the catered menu - chicken parmigiana,
spaghetti, New York cheesecake - just as he had chosen the colors on a
computer, moments earlier, of his new Nike shoes - a black and red
"Shox Cog," size 12.
Federer likes to be in control, on
and off court, in a whirlwind life that could easily spin out of
control. He has no agent or publicist, and only a part-time coach in
Tony Roche. Just turned 24, the Swiss star has long been making
decisions on his own with the help of his girlfriend, Mirka Vavrinec,
and parents.
On
this occasion, a few days before he would begin defense of his U.S.
Open title, he wanted to open himself up in a way that is unique for
any top athlete. Inviting a small group of reporters - one each from
The Associated Press, CBS, Time, People (he will soon be named to
People's 50 most-beautiful list) and a new avant-garde magazine, Flaunt
- Federer talked about tennis and what makes him tick when he's not
playing.
He spoke about how he
loves to improvise on the court, why that helps him so much at
Wimbledon, where he won his third straight title last month, and how he
uses it to his advantage on hard courts such as at the U.S. Open. He
spoke about being his own man in life and in tennis, not looking up to
his coach for sympathy, encouragement or advice during a match.
He
spoke about his foundation to help children in South Africa - his
mother's native country - and about fashion, his personal line of men's
cosmetics, his desire to really explore the places he visits and learn
about their cultures.
"Just going from the courts to the
airports, that kills me," he said. "It's like a lost weekend. I want
to learn about the world and give the people much more of myself, to
see what I'm going through, what I see in life.
"I think it
matters more and more what people think of you. Tennis comes first, but
the level of your fame should be at the level of your play. I only say
something when I mean it. I want to be credible. That's important to
me. To win everything you can is important, but is it only the athlete
that is remembered? I have to do things outside. I want to be a guy
with no regrets."
The next day, at the Adidas store nearby
in lower Manhattan, Andre Agassi also did something unusual for him or
any other top tennis player - agreeing to a one-on-one interview just
days before a major tournament. Maybe it's all part of the sneaker wars
- he, too, designed his own shoe with the help of computer technology -
but in Agassi's case he was trying to bring attention to the charitable
foundation that is so important to him.
Agassi, at 35, is the
kind of man Federer aspires to be and is already becoming. He seeks not
just to match or surpass Agassi's Grand Slam titles - Agassi has eight,
Federer five. Rather, it is Agassi's grounded life and principles, his
desire to make a difference in the world, that Federer admires. For
Agassi, the feeling is mutual toward Federer.
"I respect
anybody who gives of their time money or energy to make this world a
better place for somebody else," said Agassi, whose foundation helps
at-risk children with schools and programs in his hometown of Las
Vegas. "And when I see somebody like Roger starting his foundation at
this age, which is about when I started mine, I know one day he's going
to say, as I do, 'I wish had I started it even earlier.'
"In
12 years, we've raised over $75 million, and every dime has gone to
changing children's lives. And I always think that if I had started a
couple of years earlier maybe that $75 million would be $85 million.
That's a lot of lives.
"If I don't do this, what am I doing? It's the reason why I get up in the morning. It's the reason why I work so hard."
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