“This was when I started to work extra hard” Roger Federer highlights key career moment

Roger Federer has revealed that it was during a conversation with past coach Tony Roche that he made the decision to work that bit harder during practise and on his fitness training. He wanted to be prepared to play 7 five-sets matches in the same tournament if that’s what was necessary to win.

Federer was recalling the decision during a revealing live video call with friend and former French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten. Kuerten asked Federer if he ever practised at all because his style of play made the game look so easy.

Federer responded by saying, “When I was younger I had to learn the hard way. The problem was always when I won people always said that I made it look so easy and when I lost people said that I could have tried harder. Because my game looked so easy it’s always been a very difficult balance.

I got confused if I should grunt or sweat more to show people that i’m trying as hard as I can so I needed to learn how to put on the fighting face. I started to work extremely hard when I was with Tony Roche and he asked me if I was willing and able to play 7 matches of 5 sets in 2 weeks during a Grand Slam.

I said I think I can but i’m not 100% sure and Tony said we want to be sure so you have to train for 7 times 5 sets so you can win any Grand Slam and this is when I started to work extra hard.”

Roger Federer has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles.