Category: Federer

Novak Djokovic’s Father Takes Aim at Roger Federer

Serbian ace Novaj Djokovic might be on top of the tennis rankings currently, but the Djokovic family is popular for their abrasive comments more than the quality of the tennis they play. The Serb’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, recently took at legend Roger Federer and threw a number of allegations at the Swiss star. 

“[Djokovic and Federer] have developed a kind of respect over the years, but why do you think he still plays at 40?” Srdjan Djokovic said about Federer in a recent interview. 

“Imagine that, a 40-year-old man still plays tennis, when he can go home and do some more interesting things. But since both Nadal and Novak are breathing down his neck, he simply cannot accept the fact that they will be better than him. Go man, raise children, do something else, go ski, do something. Tennis is not my whole life, it is just my son’s current hobby. He is only a tennis player at the moment,” added the Serb’s father. 

‘15 years ago, he attacked my son while he was still young, aged 18 or 19,’ he said.

‘[Federer] knew that someone was coming who would be better than him.’

‘I said then he was a great champion, the best at that time, but as much as he is a great champion, he is not as good a man.’

The comments by his father have taken Novak Djokovic off guard, as he didn’t see these coming. When asked about the statements during a recent media encounter, Djokovic was unaware of these allegations. 

Novak Djokovic, though, did mention that he has trouble agreeing with his father at times.

“I love him, he is a great support of mine,” Novak Djokovic replied when asked his thoughts on his father’s recent comments.

“I can’t control what he says, everyone has a right to speak his mind, but I don’t always agree with everything he says.”

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_i5EmdcxbQ

Teen Sensation Coco Gauff Drags Roger Federer Into Sexism Controversy

If we had a dollar for every time a female tennis player had to face sexism from fans, we’d be the newest billionaires on the block. Coco Gauff, from USA, has been making quite the sensation due to her teen tennis exploits. 

However, Coco hit the news recently with something other than just her backstroke or rally, and she even pulled Federer in with her. 

Gauff was hosting a live session on TikTok when a user turned the sexism meter at full blast and said, “Bro what do you not understand she plays GIRLS tennis, he plays BOYS tennis, the skill gap is unmeasurable. A pro girl wouldn’t even win boys states,” a user wrote.

But, Gauff was in no mood to take this sudden attack and came up with a strong response of her own. “First things first: even though I am a girl, I don’t play ‘girls’ tennis. I play women’s tennis, I play with grown women. So that’s one thing,” Gauff said.

“As an athlete, I have no problem in people saying they are better than me because their skill level is better than me,” Gauff added. “But if you think you are better than me for the sole reason that you think you’re a boy and I’m a girl… That doesn’t make any sense.” 

While Gauff had made her point clear, she didn’t stop here and went on to include 20 times Grand Slam champion Roger Federer to make her point even clearer than it was. 

“For example – Roger Federer. If Roger Federer says he can beat me, he 100% can say that because of skill level and his actual game is way better than mine,” she said. “But if you say that you can beat me solely because of the fact that I’m a girl, that’s stupid.”

Gauff made rounds by being the first ever 15 year old to make an appearance at Wimbledon 2019. She then went on to defeat idol, Venus Williams, in the first round. 

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIObgwv69Xw

Roger Federer to Miss Tennis Until 2021 Because of Knee Operation

Twenty times Grand Slam Singles Champion and Decorated Tennis Legend Roger Federer will miss all forms of competitive tennis until 2021 because of his second knee operation in a matter of months. 

The tennis legend, who is aged 38 currently, underwent a follow up arthroscopic surgery recently, after he went through a similar procedure back in February of this year. Roger Federer, who still hasn’t retired from the world of competitive tennis, saw his last major Grand Slam win in 2018’s Australian Open. 

Federer said he “experienced a setback during (his) initial rehabilitation.” “I plan to take the necessary time to be 100 percent ready to play at my highest level,” Federer mentioned in a statement on Twitter. “I will be missing my fans and the tour dearly but Il look forward to seeing everyone back on tour at the start of the 2021 season.”

This announcement by Roger Federer has renewed speculation among fans and followers that Roger Federer could soon be hanging his shoes and calling it quits to his international career. We wait for the day to come when Federer retires, as it sure will be a rollercoaster to see him hang his boots after a stellar career. 

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt0bgX75yko

Stefanos Tsitsipas Places Charges of Preferential Treatment for Roger Federer and Other Senior Players

Stefanos Tsitsipas, the upcoming tennis sensation from Greece has turned quite a few heads by alleging that Chair Umpires have preferential behavior towards senior players such as Roger Federer and the Bryan Brothers. 

Tsitsipas put these charges while playing against the Bryan Brothers in the double final. Umpire Wesley Koolhof was overseeing the match, when Tsitsipas accused him and others of granting special privileges for opponents such as the Bryan brothers and Roger.

He later elaborated on twitter, when followers asked him about his on-court behavior. He used the social media handle to mention that while he admired Federer and other stars like Djokovic and Nadal, he couldn’t help but point out the preferential treatment that they received. 

“I think players that have been doing really well over the years, players that are generally much respected in the tennis world have privileges when it comes to certain rules and umpire decisions,” wrote the world number 10.

“I felt this couple of times when playing these guys and I think it’s a bit unfair. Roger Federer is always going to be my favorite player no matter what. I don’t want to drag him into this. It’s not his fault or intention, it’s the umpires that are trying to protect them more than they are supposed to. Nothing more than that.”

Federer strongly disagreed with these charges and mentioned that umpires do interact different with some of the top players, but there is no foul play like preferential treatment involved here. 

“It’s a tough one but what I do feel sometimes is that on the outside courts, more than just preferential treatment to the top guys, they are tougher on the rules,” Federer said to AFP.

“You do something – bang, warning. It’s like there is no messing about. But with the umpires with the top guys on the main courts, I think the umpires know the top guys, they know their problems, they know how they behave and how they will react, so they know what acting stupid or silly means and what normal is. So because we know each other very well, I think it’s easier for an umpire to handle a top player who they know over an up-and-coming guy like Tsitsipas or a young guy and that sometimes gets lost in translation and maybe bad mistakes can happen. But I don’t see preferential treatment, there shouldn’t be,” Federer said.

Viewers on the internet have reacted strongly to these claims by Tsitsipas and believe that he needs to be more careful with how he speaks about some of the seniors. One of the commenters on YouTube mentioned that Tsitsipas is an exciting young talent, and he should make sure that he respects the pros of the game. The world number 10 has indeed had a good last year, and there are high hopes associated with his meteoric growth in the sport. The future is indeed bright for him. 

Tennis Players Including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Pick Best Looking Players on Tour

Tennis players might be all competitive against each other on the court, but outside of it they are good friends, and do not shy away from giving compliments on how they look. 

This year saw a lot of competitive battles in Tennis, with many exhilarating matches between the best of today and the best of yesteryear. The competition was thrilling and kept users at the edge of their seats. 

However, all of these stars got a chance to show their humorous side outside of the court by voting for who is nicest and the best looking of the lot. Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov was in favor with all the stars in this regard, as many seem to have picked him out for the laurel. 

In a recent video shared by Tennis TV, stars from across the globe were asked about the best looking player on Tour. Earlier, when these stars were asked about the nicest ATP player, Grigor Dimitrov came out as the surprise winner. However, this time around the Bulgarian was praised by all colleagues and opponents. The funny video saw all of the tennis stars compliment Dimitrov and mention how he is the best in business when it comes to looks. 

While currently all tennis stars are on a vacation to get some well deserved rest, they were part of a video by ATP, talking about the best looking player on Tour. There were no doubts whatsoever for John Isner, Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal, all of whom mentioned that Grigor is everyone’s love. Grigor, who is currently dating the beautiful model Nicole Scherzinger, comes from Bulgaria and has attractive facial features. 

Alexander Zverev, who was the ATP winner in London, mentioned that ‘everyone loves Grigor,’ because of how cool and good looking he is.  

Tennis ace Roger Federer was also asked this same question, and he thought about it before picking Jeremy Chardy. Milos Raonic, who was the Wimbledon finalist in 2016, chose Feliciano Lopez as the best looking.

Grigor enjoyed a brilliant 2017, but lost momentum during this year. After a great 2017 that saw him reach a career high ranking of 3rd, Gregor has now gone all the way down to 19th. Grigor has prioritized a comeback now and can be seen in Monte Carlo, hitting the courts and the gym concurrently. He is expected to start the 2019 season with a tour of Brisbane soon.