Federer holds the record of the world's longest consecutive singles weeks in ATP history (237 weeks, 2004-2008), won the Grand Slam men's singles championship for 20 times, and was the runner-up in 10, and won the Laurence World Sports Award for the best male athlete for 4 times, up to 20 15, 165438+23/kl.
2017 165438+1October16, roger federer reached the semi-final of ATP year-end finals for the first time 14 at the age of 36, and Federer once again set a new world record for men's tennis. 17 won the best male athlete in the 20 17 National Sports Journalists Conference (AIPS) on February 29th.
A hymn belonging to Federer
Another year of Australian Open, returning to the starting point of Federer's comeback myth. Many big names in the industry, such as Becker (former coach of Federer's competitors), Cretega (opponent with a record of 2-3 behind Federer), Morato Gru (coach Serena) and McDonald (Federer's sparring partner in Dubai), have comprehensively interpreted the secret of Federer's staying young from a professional perspective, with behind-the-scenes stories and full of dry goods.
Start with the six-month offseason from 20 16. After recovering from his knee injury, Federer began to prepare for the new season from Dubai. At that time, he invited McDonald to practice with other young talents. Yes, it was this big American boy who played five sets with dimitrov in this Australian Open.
In a training session, Federer cut the net and then bounced back to his field, which was a miraculous move. MacDonald from the University of California shouted incredulously, "His hands seem to have magic." He was deeply surprised to see the performance of his idol.
Federer and McDonald (third from right)
Obviously, Federer's incredible touch did not leave him. After training with MacDonald, Donis Salatiel Escober Izaguirre and Puyi, Federer went to Australia. For the first time in his career, he got rid of such a serious injury. Federer won the Australian Open slightly unexpectedly, and then he climbed to the top of the all-England club with unparalleled performance, becoming the oldest Wimbledon champion (35 years old).
How did Federer shine in his first Grand Slam comeback? What details did he change to slow down his decline and achieve the most exciting comeback in tennis history? What is the secret of his longevity?
I. Research and development of new weapons
In the 20 15 season, Federer promoted his offensive tennis to a new height, which is considered to be the key to his return to the top. In August of that year, after a long flight to Cincinnati, the Swiss was in a slightly difficult state, but he still conducted adaptive training with Parry as planned.
During the training, the Swiss disrupted the usual training rhythm by stepping into the venue to send and receive, and then quickly followed the network. Travel fatigue may be a factor, and he wants to end the round as soon as possible, so the slightly evil sabr- sneak attack on the internet tactic was born. "This is very interesting. I was surprised when Roger was happy for the first time. At that time, we were still shooting a lot, and he suddenly used SABR. The effect of this strategy gradually appeared in training, so he decided to apply it to the competition. " Regarding the birth process of SABR, Paley recalled.
Encouraged by captain Lu Se, Federer decided to use this strange technique on the tour, and finally he defeated Djokovic in the Cincinnati final. In fact, SABR sounds simple, but it is extremely risky. Sneaking into the net under the opponent's 90-mile serve is not as simple as traditional receiving, but it is much more difficult than returning the ball or receiving it from the baseline. However, once such tactics are implemented, the balance of players such as Djokovic can also be successfully broken. Such oppression will put pressure on players who are opposite to each other across the net, forcing them to make more difficult returns.
Not surprisingly, SABR was opposed by many people, including Becker, the coach of Djokovic at that time. Germans call this practice "disrespect". However, when Becker faded out of the position of coach Deyo, he was also full of praise when talking about Federer's pioneering work. "Roger's SABR tactics are a bit surprising because he used it in training three years ago. He can do this because he has a natural delicate touch, which many people want to do, but he is trapped by his own technical limitations. Roger has talent and technology as a support, so the sky is the limit for him. "
Interestingly, Federer turned what he rejected in the past into an advantage. The offensive play of "cutting the ball and surfing the internet" creates opportunities for yourself to surf the internet and puts pressure on opponents through the return service accompanied by strong backspin. In the early days of his career, Federer was limited to players like Henman and Anxiqi. Now, he has become a crazy pressure on his opponent.
The effect of the new tactics is quite obvious, and SABR has proved to be an effective weapon, especially when Federer won the Australian Open in a way that shocked the world 12 months ago. "This tactic is just a way for him to have fun on the court." Former world No.2 Kriega said that the Spaniard led Federer 3-2. "His attitude towards tennis is different from that of ordinary people. Sometimes he will relax and invent something that others have never seen before. " Serena's coach Morato Gru commented, "SABR shows Roger's willingness to join the network. He can play 65,438+000% offensive tennis, which is very interesting and spectacular. "
In short, Federer not only reinvented himself, using the advantages of other players as his own weapon, but also constantly broke through the boundaries of the sport.
Second, incredible changes in mentality.
Federer always has an ability-he is willing to adapt to new changes. "When he was young, he often threw the racket and lost his focus on the game, just like a teenager." Kretga commented on Federer's early performance in his career. "He used to play a lot of jokes ... but now he has made incredible progress in the spiritual world. He tried to make himself more peaceful and learn to control his emotions. "
Of course, Federer, who is back from injury, also needs new motivation. Specifically, Federer's motivation to continue has changed. This time, he felt it necessary to leave the twins with the memory of watching their father's game and to be the winner.
"I think children are a great source of his motivation. Especially the eight-year-old daughters, they will form conscious memories of Roger's game. " Roger federer's biographer Chris Bowles said.
This is not the first time the Swiss have made changes in their careers. As early as 200 1 Hamburg Tour, young Federer smashed the referee's seat with a racket after losing the game. Just then, he realized that he had to control his temper. This kind of repentance also made him taste the sweetness, reaching the quarter-finals in the next two grand slam events, which he had never achieved before. In addition, the unexpected death of Peter Kater, the first coach, also brought him deeper thinking.
"It is very difficult to control emotions, especially for young players." Well-known sports psychologist Robert Fuzoni explained. In his view, this change is the key to Federer's evergreen. "It is not easy for players to get rid of out-of-control emotions. After going through this process, it will be more meaningful to be able to deal with it more calmly in the future. "
After half a year's rest, his self-motivation style has become more noticeable. "I attribute this to his love of tennis." Becker added, "The return after six months shows Roger's love for this sport. In fact, there is no reason for him to come back again. He has won several times in almost every project, so in essence he must love this sport very much in order to pass all kinds of tests and hardships and get to the present position. "
"Everyone saw his talent because it was obvious, but Roger was an incredible boxer." Morato Gru commented on the Swiss, "He believes in himself more than any player, and he will not give up easily. He can always improve his position in large-scale events. "
"We will no longer be surprised by roger federer's achievements. I was explaining when he beat Sampras at Wimbledon. Everyone is surprised that "this guy has all the abilities", but at the same time, they also want to know if he can keep the highlights. Won't he get hurt? Can he continue to yearn for victory? 15 years later, the answer to these questions is' yes'! " Becker said with a smile.
"It's hard for a tennis player like me to explain how great he is. I don't think there will be another Federer, he is unique, and I don't think his record will be broken. I just feel incredible about his success with awe, even now, even at the age of 36. "
3. Find pleasure in boredom
During Federer's legendary career, the head coach changed hands several times, but there was always one person behind the scenes-Pierre Paganini, who has been in charge of Federer's diet, physical training and schedule arrangement for nearly 20 years.
"When Roger was a teenager, Paganini realized that there was no point in going to the gym if he wanted to keep his disciples healthy." Biographer Bowles recalled: "It is his consistent idea to make physical training rich and interesting, so Roger has always been enthusiastic about the training class, which not only exercised his body, but also inspired many of his ideas."
When tomic and other players repeatedly revealed their dislike of training, the importance of this model was revealed. As Federer's former coach, Anacon explained to the European body: "Paganini is an incredible person and an experienced coach. They have been together for nearly twenty years, and Roger trusts him very much. In order to make the training interesting, Pierre created a series of unique cheats, which were fresh, vivid and full of vitality, and perfectly matched with Roger's playing style. For Roger, after all these years, what matters is how much he enjoys it. "
For a long time, many players complained that the tour was boring, and even their love and desire for tennis disappeared. Agassi is the most famous example. But Federer is just the opposite, especially after half a year's absence, his love for tennis and even training has increased. Remember the live broadcast he made through Twitter during the winter vacation of 20 16? The unique training method is refreshing.
Paganini, as a top decathlon player, has been cooperating with Federer since he came to the Swiss Youth Tennis Center at the age of 14, but he rarely travels around the world with Federer for so many years. Nevertheless, his influence cannot be underestimated. As a physical fitness coach in his early years, he fully controlled Federer's diet and routine, established a good training system for him, and helped him quickly integrate into professional tennis. More importantly, 36-year-old Federer still plays a key role in making plans for his comeback in the 20 17 season.
Why did Federer see countless landscapes, but his love for tennis never faded? Paganini's pioneering thinking and training methods are indispensable.
Fourth, make up for the fatal shortcomings.
In Federer's tennis system, backhand is always Achilles' heel and has been the target of opponents' attacks for many years. But it was time for last year's Australian Open final, and Nadal also realized the change of his opponent's backhand. "Roger has made incredible efforts, and I believe his backhand stroke is excellent now," Nadal said after the game. "In my opinion, his receiving and sending links have made the greatest progress." Nadal is not the first person to put forward this view, but he is the most important one. Not only from his personal experience, before that, he was far ahead of the record of 23- 1 1.
Nadal's first defeat of Federer dates back to 2004, when he was only 18 years old, and subsequent fights proved that he was completely the nemesis of the Swiss. His forehand slash, which he practiced on the clay court in Mallorca, is one of the deadliest weapons on the tour. When facing Federer, he took pains to aim at his backhand position and scored easily. Similarly, there is his strong spin serve, especially in the second zone, and the bounce height is even higher than the shoulder, which is a nightmare for SLR players.
Cretega recalled that he also offered this strategy when he faced Federer in the final of 200 1 French Open. "After the game, my father and I talked about the game. He said,' The boy plays well, but he always makes mistakes on the court, especially when he plays a high-bounce ball.' Then I said,' Indeed, this is the only link I can use. "
Kretga and Federer
For years, Federer has been looking for ways to improve his backhand stroke. Facing the high bounce ball, it is more and more difficult to balance the strength and control the ball diameter. At the peak, he won so many Grand Slams, which mainly highlighted the comprehensiveness of his skills. However, in the face of Nadal, the loophole of backhand became more and more obvious, and the Spaniard also took this opportunity to stay ahead in the battle between them.
Four years ago, Federer finally learned a lesson from his painful experience and set out to fix this loophole, and the first step seemed particularly simple. ......
Five: changing weapons
Yes, the first step is to change the lens. It sounds easy, but it is not easy to give up a weapon that will help you win the 17 Grand Slam. Top players have been integrating rackets with structure, grip strength and touch for many years. .........................................................................................................................................................
"I tried to persuade Sampras to change his face, but it never worked because he was so used to it." Anacon added, "But what about Roger? First of all, he knows the advantages and disadvantages of changing the lens. Secondly, he dares to try. The key to the problem is to choose a suitable time to change the lens. "
20 13 was suffering from a back injury when he first switched to filming. "Even though he has made a lot of efforts, it is still difficult to adapt because the injury is too serious." Anacon explained, "He knows that even after the initial adaptation period, he still needs to choose the right time and constantly adjust. By 20 17, we all saw how well he adapted. "
In the 20 14 season, Federer officially invited Edberg to join the team. The Swede is one of the best online service players, and his arrival has injected more aggression into Federer's game. Since then, Federer's backhand has been used as an offensive weapon-to score points, not to extend the round. He oppressed his opponent by increasing the frequency of surfing the internet. This is not a revolution, but a gradual evolution, laying the foundation for future success.
It was also during that time that Federer established the concept of simplifying the complex and compressing the round to win. But he finally broke up with Edberg at the end of 20 15 and became a good friend Ljubicic. At first glance, this seems to be a strange choice. Let the player who has won the Masters championship only once have the best assist history? But considering the reasons carefully, it is not difficult to find that the Croatian is qualified for this position because he has three advantages: he beat Federer three times in his early career, so he is very aware of his weaknesses; His SLR offensive is full; He is also a master tactician.
Ljubicic has never been interviewed, and Federer rarely talks about their relationship. Although there is little information from the client, at least we can clearly see that Federer's backhand has made great progress. Therefore, in the Australian Open final last year, even though the deciding set 1-3 was behind, he still seized every opportunity to attack backhand, accelerated the pace and compressed Nadal's reaction time, so that he could not tear the return ball apart.
Obviously, he was not idle during the half-year offseason. Although many people think that he can't return to the top again, and the rumors of retirement are rampant, Federer is implementing his comeback plan step by step. As Nadal said, he put a lot of energy into receiving and backhand training. "Look at his game at the Australian Open. Backhand is used more and more frequently, and the position has been pressing the bottom line. This is how he trained in Dubai. " McDonald added.
After the five-set battle in Melbourne, Federer has won Nadal four times in a row, and backhand is the number one hero.
Sixth, the first secret of evergreen
What is the secret of maintaining a high level of competition and achieving great success? A widely accepted simple answer is to stay healthy. Career continuity is an important criterion to distinguish masters from ordinary players. Federer is a master in managing his physical condition and schedule.
Except for his back injury, Federer has remained healthy throughout his career. Is this luck? Maybe, but since he became a professional player from 1998, his success cannot be attributed to luck. Everyone who knows him knows that he has a magic weapon to win for a long time, which is also the biggest secret behind his infinite career.
"The reason why he became an evergreen tree in tennis is partly because of his way of keeping in good health and partly because his playing style will not bring too much pressure to his body." Bowles commented, "I think his SLR play is one of the factors to keep healthy, which can reduce the pressure on the body;" There is also an open forehand grip, which is why his physical stress is much smaller than Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. Other players often have a slight back twist when hitting the ball, which is not difficult to explain that many players will have serious back injuries and hip injuries. "
In a word, his playing style is not only pleasing to the eye, but also helps him maintain his health for so many years. "In the past, players thought,' If I stop for a few months, I'm afraid I'll never come back', so they rarely make repairs and their injuries are getting worse." Morato Gru said, "But Roger doesn't think so. I still have to play for many years, but I'm not young and my physical endurance is far worse than when I was in my early twenties. Then I'll play less games and specialize in grand slams and other big projects. "He proved to us that it is no big deal to rest for half a year if you arrange your work and rest reasonably."
"In the past, many people retired at the age of 30, so you have to plan different schedules to extend your career, but many people have been competing until their bodies are overdrawn." Federer shared his views in last year's year-end finals. By the age of 36, he had surpassed many superstars. Bjorberg, Becker and Sampras retired at the age of 26, 3/kloc-0 and 32 respectively. Last season, he chose to withdraw from the long schedule, quit the whole clay season and concentrate on preparing for Wimbledon, and also won the first 19 Grand Slam title without losing a set. Like Federer, Nadal, who won two Grand Slam titles last year, returned from a period of rest after the end of the 16 season. Similarly, there are the Williams sisters with infinite scenery, and streamlining their schedules is their secret. This gradually formed a trend, and Federer once again walked in front.
It can be said that Federer's schedule last year gave many veterans a wake-up call, and they could focus on their own good venues. "This is where he is smarter than others. He knows which event is more important to him. " Becker said, "I think his wife, mirka, has played a very important role in this, keeping things in order at home so that Federer can devote himself to the game and present the most perfect state. He is still so successful after so many years, and I think this is also the key. "
It is true that Paganini's influence cannot be underestimated. But Federer's career is evergreen, mainly because of his foresight, subjectively different from other contemporary stars, and the way he treats his body.