Olympic top men’s seed, Roger Federer talks about his experiences at the Olympics and his desire for gold in London.
Q: What is it that makes tennis at the Olympic Games so special for you?
Federer: “It’s amazing to me that this is already my fourth Olympics. Always something special has happened at every Olympic Games I’ve taken part in, and obviously I learned a lot as well like living in the Village, carrying the flag, other responsibilities, facing a lot of pressure, winning gold.”
Q: What was your first Olympics like?
Fed: “I just made the cut back in 2000. I was still very young then. I was only 18, 19. That was a big deal for me. I had an incredible couple of weeks in Sydney, which for me will always stay in my memories as one of the greatest sports experiences I ever had.
Q: How important is the Olympics on the tennis circuit?
Fed: “I guess when I speak to some players now, who didn’t play back in maybe ’96, 2000, you name it, I know that some of them have regrets that they didn’t play it, seeing how big the Olympics has become in tennis and how important tennis has become to the Olympics. But then also having the chance to represent my country is the second one. Third, just sort of living the dream, as well, being part of the Olympic Village, the Olympic spirit. You name it, there were a lot of things that I was able to take away from the Games. I hope it’s going to be something similar this time.”
Q: How confident are you of securing a gold medal in the men’s singles?
Fed: “Now Olympic gold is a dream. I am now the Wimbledon champion, and that gives me even more confidence coming to the Olympics. Maybe in some way, it will take some pressure off.”
Q: What makes tennis at the Olympic Games different from the usual events you compete in?
Fed: “The Olympics is a different animal. You only do get an opportunity every four years, it’s not something us tennis players are quite used to. Hopefully you get the right draw, you play the right matches and the right points at the right time.
“Now that tennis is finally accepted by the Olympic Committee it’s something I wish to move forward in a way.”
Q: How did you feel when you won the Olympic doubles gold with Stanislas Wawrinka in 2008?
Fed: “Honestly the celebration was much more intense. It was very different to winning alone on a tennis court. So for me it was very special winning with my team mate. One of my great accomplishments in life.”
Q: When you come to the Olympics does it make you to think of how Switzerland could improve further?
Fed: It is difficult for any country to match the performances [of] top countries like the USA and China. However, I will definitely focus on helping my country when I retire from tennis.