Roger Federer once shared insights into his long and arduous journey of mastering how to regulate his emotions on the court.
For much of Federer’s career, he has epitomized composure and grace on the court. However, his early years as a junior and as a young professional player painted a different picture. Initially, the Swiss struggled with temperamental outbursts, often breaking racquets, complaining about the umpire’s calls, and succumbing to fits of anger.
Ahead of his campaign at the 2007 Pacific Life Open (now known as the Indian Wells Masters), Roger Federer reflected on the evolution of his on-court behavior. He attributed his past struggles to his overly “perfectionist” mindset, stating that it caused him to face difficulty controlling his emotions during matches.
“I was too much of a perfectionist when I was young. I could never accept any mistakes. I would always commentate every point, you know. It was just terrible, you know. I couldn’t control my emotions, you know. I would be very sad person on the court, very down on myself all the time,” he said in a press conference at the Pacific Life Open.
While he eventually gained control over his emotions, the Swiss admitted that the process took longer than expected.
“And eventually I just got it together, you know. But it took me a long time. I thought by the end of my teenage years I would figure it out, but it took me till the beginning of my 20s to really get to understand what I had to do,” he added.
During the press conference, Roger Federer also shed light on how he managed to stay grounded despite his remarkable success on tour, saying:
“Look, I don’t know, friends and family. You have your own way of life. I mean, I’ve went through very interesting phase in the last ten years, tried to get to the top and staying at the top and facing many different things, you know. Media, sponsor, fans, big occasions, you know. And for me, I’ve never had a reason to kind of get crazy about it.”
The Swiss pointed out that his journey to the top hadn’t been meteoric, as he didn’t win a Grand Slam title immediately after coming up through junior tennis. He stated that this gradual ascent gave him the time to grow as a person first.
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