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February 14, 2005
Roger Federer Fanletter February 2005
By Roger Federer
Dear tennis fans
A terrific feeling still overcomes me when I look back at all my achievements
in 2004. It was absolutely amazing to go soaring into such heights again after
the low due to my injury in Basel. Not having been able to defend my title at
the Australian Open this year and bringing an end to my long series of match wins
and victories against top ten players certainly is painful. The expectations
prior to the Australian Open were huge and I must say that I am pleased with the
result. It is more the fact of not having been 100% fit that bothers me. In any
case, I have experienced once again how little it takes to decide on who is to
leave the court as a winner on this level – and especially at a Grand Slam.
I have definitely made a good start into the new season. The year has only just
begun and there are plenty of important tournaments to focus on before the next
Grand Slam. The fact that Tony Roche and myself can work together makes me feel
very positive. It is interesting to learn from him and I am confident to be
able to celebrate numerous further victories with his support.
My diary
In my last newsletter I told you all about the time before Houston. I had
planned to spend a few days at home before the Masters but then there was a sudden
change of plans: I was asked to participate in the opening ceremony of the UN’s
“International Year of Sports and Physical Education”. The event was to be held
in New York and I should be present next to Kofi Annan, Secretary General of
the United Nations and Adolf Ogi, former Federal Councillor of Switzerland and
now Special Adviser to the Secretary General on Sports for Development and Peace.
It had been Adolf Ogi’s idea for me to get involved in the event and I was
fascinated by the idea on the spot! Being able to make a contribution to help
others as an ambassador for sports is a very noble mission. As a result of my injury
I was able to attend the ceremony and I was also asked to hold a speech.
Believe me, I was pretty nervous before that – there were, after all, a lot of
important people in that hall. But everything
worked
out perfectly well, certainly also due to the fact that I can identify myself
excellently with the philosophy of this engagement: Showing others how many
positive aspects there are to physical activity and being able to help others to
find out of a miserable situation through sports as well as trying to overcome
terrible experiences. It has been a great enrichment for everyone involved having
been able to work together in this project. Adolf Ogi was thrilled about my
participation and it was an honour for me to meet him.
My destination after New York was Houston where I arrived a week prior to the
tournament. I felt that I needed to give myself enough time for moderate
training after the injury. There were no complications whatsoever right from the start
and I felt confident for the Tennis Masters Cup – what a relief! There was a
lot at stake, after all: First of all I did not know at what level I would be
able to play after my injury. Secondly the time had now come to prove that I merit
being the world’s number one tennis player. And last but not least I did not
want my record-series of victories against top ten players to come to an end.
And so it was an enormous satisfaction to show such solid performances at the
Masters. Then, finally, the last big question arose before the final: would I be
able to continue my series of tournament victories as well? Now we all know the
answer. It was simply unbelievable – the perfect ending to an incredible
season! Even without the title at the Masters it would have been a gigantic year.
Only a couple of weeks further back it was uncertain whether I would be able to
play in Houston at all. So being able to compete was already a bonus – not to
mention taking home the title!
Finally it was time to relax in the sun with Mirka on the Maldives. It was a
well-deserved break and we had a wonderful two weeks. We have been joking, asking
ourselves whether I can permit myself such a break in the future should I not
be able to reach such heights again!
Back in Switzerland I enjoyed a few days with my family and friends before
moving on to Australia. I had to start preparing for the coming season and did so
with Tony Roche in Sydney. Pierre Paganini, my fitness trainer, was also present
and so the ten days turned out to be a very intensive training session.
I was one of the first players to arrive in Doha and I prepared thoroughly for
the first challenge in 2005. I felt well, finding an excellent rhythm right
from the start. I spent a great time in Doha, treating myself to some quad-biking
in the desert and simply enjoying nature’s beauty. And obviously it was
thrilling to start the new season with the title at the Qatar Open!
Then it was time to return to Down Under. I had just been on one of the longest
trips in my career so far, not spending Christmas and New Year at home for the
first time. Therefore I was not quite certain if I still had enough energy left
to perform well in Kooyong. I decided to make a steady start into the
tournament which proved out to be the wrong approach; I had a hard time in the first
round. Fortunately I was able to improve considerably, showing great matches
against Tim Henman and Andy Roddick. After taking home the title it was clear to me
that I was now prepared for the Australian Open.
Suddenly the moment was here: After Wimbledon it was up to me to defend another
Grand Slam title. It did not look easy as my first round opponent was Fabrice
Santoro. He is a very experienced player and I had a rather queasy feeling
before the encounter. But, to my surprise, the match turned out to be a great start
into the Australian Open. I continued in a solid way and the clear victory
against Andre Agassi gave me further confidence for the further rounds. It was only
pain in my foot that had been bothering me since the beginning of the
tournament that made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I felt well apart from that and looked
forward to the semi-final against Marat Safin. The stadium was packed for the
night session, promising a great atmosphere. And what a match it turned out to
be! Unfortunately the pain in my foot increased constantly, forcing me to
evasive movements and eventually leading to strong tension in my back. Despite the
handicap I had a matchball which I unfortunately was not able to convert. I fought with all my will and almost managed to turn
the tide after finding back into the game in the last set. But Marat showed an
excellent performance, deserving to take home the match and eventually the
title.
It was certainly a tough moment for me. I had been in a similar situation in
Melbourne against Tommy Haas in 2002. Furthermore I lost the Davis Cup match
against Lleyton Hewitt in 2003 after leading by 2-0 sets and 5:3. All of this did
not make it easier for me just then. As my last defeat goes back to the Olympics
in Athens I am now confronted with a rather unfamiliar situation. But one thing
is certain: I have learnt from this experience.
I would like to add that I am pleased with myself because I gave it all I
could. I will definitely be back next year and who knows – maybe everything will fit
together perfectly well again then. I will now have to show a reaction to this
defeat and continue with the drive from Doha and Australia right up to the
clay-season.
Tony Roche
I already told you in my last newsletter that I had returned home after the
victory in Bangkok. Well, in between that I made a short stopover in Dubai for a
first training session with Tony Roche. We had a great time and I was – and
still am - impressed by his qualities. Unfortunately Tony does not want to travel
as much anymore and we were unable to find an agreement on our further
cooperation. He did offer to work with me during two weeks in December which was a great
Christmas present to me. As mentioned, it was a tough session and I was able to
learn a lot and improve. Later, at the Australian Open, Tony accompanied me
during the entire tournament. I consider our cooperation most enriching and I am
extremely pleased by his further engagement. We will spend several weeks per
year training together during the largest breaks between tournaments.
International solidarity
The flood disaster in South-Asia was a tremendous shock for me and it is still
on my mind very often. The enormous amount of victims is unimaginable.
Contributing to the relief efforts means a lot to me as I have had the privilege of
visiting some of the affected areas in the past. Next to my personal donation I
had the chance to take action in Nike Town Melbourne during the Australian Open.
I helped out at the till together with Cathy Freeman, James Blake, James Hird
and other athletes. Every dollar spent that day – the proud sum of 100’000$ -
was donated to the World Vision Tsunami Relief Fund. Nike even topped that by
adding material in the same value. I had a great time during the event also being
able to challenge a few fans in table-tennis in the shop.
Furthermore the ATP sold a set containing autographed rackets used by Andy
Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and myself by auction and we managed to gather terrific
amounts by auctioning pieces of clothing and a racket from Wimbledon and Houston.
It is a wonderful sign to see such a large amount of organisations and persons
worldwide expressing their solidarity with the people who have lost everything.
Official Fan Calendar
I can hardly believe it: the last few copies of my official fan calendar 2005
have just left the storehouse – despite having increased the number of prints by
50% compared to the previous year! I am overwhelmed to see your interest in the
calendar and I would like to express my gratitude for your support. As every
purchase also supports the Roger Federer Foundation you have also put a smile on
the faces of children in Africa – I would like to thank you with all my heart.
Dear fans, my break is over again now. I had a very interesting time with
various events and meetings. One of the highlights was certainly receiving the
Golden Camera in Berlin which fills me with pride. I am now full of energy and look
forward to the tournaments lying ahead.
Take care, bis bald, à bientôt
Yours Roger
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