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ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2019

Roger Federer

Paris, France

R. FEDERER/L. Sonego

6-2, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. As you return to the clay season this year, what are the factors which have contributed to the decision for playing the clay court season this year in terms of time management and of the look on the whole of the season?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, No. 1, it starts with you're in the mood or not to do it, because there needs to go extra preparation into the clay court season for me. I'd say even especially this year, because I'm not getting any younger, and because I haven't played many years on the clay now.

So I think just the question was, No. 1, do I want to play on clay and do I want to go through that process and what does it create for the rest of the season?

So I saw more positives than negatives, you know. The team supported me with that decision. My family, too.

So that always needs to be all aligned. Honestly, I think also it helped by not ever having a plan not to play the French Open for three, four years. The goal was always to play every year. And then it just happened what happened with the knee and the back in '16. '17, '18 I just felt for my health maybe it was better not to do it. And all of a sudden these years go by, and, you know, you haven't played.

Now I'm very happy I took that decision, because I enjoyed Madrid, I enjoyed Rome. I'm happy to be here. The reception I got today was crazy, was really nice to see a full stadium for a first round like this. It was a beauty. So I'm very, very happy.

Q. You had to play an Italian the first round, you may have to play another Italian who plays similar to Sonego. I want to know what do you think about this opponent, if you knew him before, and if it's better for you sometimes you do know it or you prefer to know it?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I prefer to know. It always is helpful to know the patterns and especially if you've played, maybe practiced with somebody, you know the weight of shot or you know their preferences, you know. That's why it's hard sometimes to know is it lucky? Is it normal for him to hit certain shots, you know? And the amount of risk taking, you know, it's important to know these things what is normal and whatnot.

I felt like for a first round for me, playing against somebody who I don't know and I have seen very little play, maybe, I'd say, 10 points. Then of course I watched some highlights yesterday of his matches, so I saw much more and gave me a good idea how to play him. I was very happy how I played.

I thought he's fast on his feet, has a nice forehand, good first serve, so I see why he can be very dangerous for a lot of guys on the court, regardless of clay or other surfaces. I thought he was strong today, you know, under the circumstances of a first round of a major like this with a full crowd. I think he did very well.

Q. After everything that you have achieved throughout your career, what is it that drives or motivates you to want to keep winning and competing to try and win more Grand Slams when you could do so many other things?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I feel like I can do those other things later on, too, you know. I don't have to do them at 37. I could do them, you know, at a different time, as well.

It's not only about the Grand Slams, you know. Of course I like them, but I also skipped this tournament, let's not forget, the last few years. So as important as it is, I love the ATP Tour. You know, I love the other 1000s, 500s, 250s, you name it, Hopman Cup, Laver Cup, World Tour Finals. There are so many other cool events out there that I want to be part of, or exhibition matches or foundation matches.

So there is much more to it than just the slams. I know sometimes, especially now, as we are at a Grand Slam, people are only talking about Grand Slams, but the majority of my tournament wins come elsewhere.

So I love to play. The traveling, to me, doesn't bother me too much, you know. I feel like I have a lot of friends around the world, so it's nice to see them, as well. I think that's also helpful, going to places and getting to see my old friends I only see maybe once a year.

And, yeah, just very happy how things are going on the tour, and my family loves it, too. They are okay with it. That helps a little bit, too.

Q. The other day you compared your feeling a little bit to Australia in 2017. You have had sort of so many expectations on your shoulders for so long. Does it feel particularly nice maybe to come into a Grand Slam where the expectations aren't so high? You can maybe be a bit freer.
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, very much so. It's nice to be an outsider. That's how I feel, anyhow. Just see how it goes, you know. I know when Wimbledon comes around, sure, I'll be probably a higher favorite. That's okay, too. You know, I'm happy that I'm there where I am.

But, you know, like you said, for many years it was either, if I don't win, it's a disappointment, and you explain yourself in the press room. People, like, don't understand why you lost. And, you know, so I feel like if I lost first round or in the finals or wherever it is, people would be, like, Okay, that could have happened.

I like that approach for me also once in a while. It relaxes you on the bigger points maybe or it relaxes you subconsciously as you walk through the grounds and go to practice and go to the press room. This is not a show I'm putting on. This is the truth. I really don't know how far I can go in this event, and I am very happy with my first round. It was a really good performance, I thought, from my side for not having played here for as long as I did.

Q. I would like to ask if you compare courts and balls, Rome and here, because they use different balls here. And they say the clay courts are getting even faster than hard courts. How do you feel it?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, on a sunny day, it can definitely play faster than in a night session on hard courts, you know, when you're talking medium, slow, or slow. Because the bad bounces, you know, on clay, that helps sometimes for the serve and volley, the footing is tougher to change direction quickly. So all these things can help the case to serve and volley.

Madrid? I don't think the balls played particularly different, in my opinion, between Madrid, Rome, and then here. Of course, I still have this dream for all the players that we wouldn't have to change balls, you know, but, okay, it is what it is. It's never going to be perfect, you know, because of all the contracts and to align them, it's going to be tricky.

Madrid obviously was different because of the altitude. The moment you have altitude, the kicker goes crazy. You can hit more aces.

I also thought in Rome and in Madrid, you know, when it gets nice and hot and the sun is shining, I feel like the clay goes dry. Then it becomes more slippery. Whereas here at the French Open the court always seems a little bit more damp, a little bit more wet, which makes for easier playing and easier footing. But of course it's not as easy just to blast through an opponent with your serve, as well, so you have to find different ways to win the points, mostly a lot of baseline rallies.

Q. How about the new Chatrier? I know it's been a while since you played a match on there, but did you notice any particular different feeling?
ROGER FEDERER: Not a whole lot. I think it was helpful that the stadium was full, so you don't see the, you know, sort of the beige seats, you know. I feel like when it's not full, you feel like it's a completely different stadium.

But as mine was full, I felt like it was actually very close to how it's been in the past. In practice, you know, when it was empty, I thought I saw a lot of glass. I saw a lot of concrete. I thought, hmm, it's quite different. But as the stadium was full, I thought the atmosphere was great and it was nice playing on there.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. In view of the length of the match and the scenario, is it a perfect return for you to the clay court?
ROGER FEDERER: Yes, because there has been some pressure in the beginning, obviously some nerves, many people wanted to know how it was going to be for me, how I was going to be back.

There has been a lot of attention lately with my return. When I started the match, I started it well, so it shows that the pressure is not acting on me.

I was right away playing well on the central court here in Roland Garros. The duration of the match wasn't a problem. No problems with my body before or after the match. And then I have two weeks -- no, I meant two-and-a-half days, luckily it's not two weeks, but it's ideal for me for the start of the tournament.

Q. What did you feel today with the welcome of the French audience? We saw at exercise this morning, training, people were really happy to see you. What did you feel after this first day?
ROGER FEDERER: Up till now, I felt that it had been rather quiet. The stadium was closed. When I trained here throughout the week, I didn't get the media. I don't know why. They were doing something else.

But when I got to the Lenglen yesterday, it was full for Rafa, Novak, and myself. It was the first time that the public really saw me, and I could feel that the atmosphere was different from what it is elsewhere when sometimes they start chanting your name when you're training or today when I got there there was a lot of encouragement. So it's a bit like before a finals. You feel that it's different from another week of tennis or just another tournament.

I don't know. I feel that the public missed me, and I missed them, as well.

So 10 or 20 years later or after not playing here for many years, there was some buzz, which I could feel on the central court when I was training and when I was playing today.

So it was rather cool, rather pleasant, and I really loved the welcome I got on the court. I hope that it continues like this.

Q. You said that you weighed the pros and cons before you took your decision of playing on clay. What were the pros that you identified?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, for example, training more for endurance, even though it's not always pleasant to do that. And I guess it's a good thing for the rest of my career, as well, to train in this way and for the rest of the season.

I also hit the balls very hard like you have to do on clay, but this can help you afterwards on the season, on hard or grass, and it was also a change. Because if you're constantly doing the same, it gets boring. So all this was part of my decision-making process. There was also the desire, the desire was there. I felt like doing it. But then you had to do the job afterwards and do the work.

Q. We saw you playing very much forward. Did this help you to conclude the points, the balls quicker? Do you want to shorten your balls or to play more forward? We got the impression you were trying to shorten the play.
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I guess it depends on the weather. It's a natural surface, so it reacts to the sun, the wind, and the rain. So we will have to see what happens. It also depends on your opponent. How does your opponent return? Does he do it better from far away or closer?

Most of the players like conventional rallies. Now players manage to hit very hard their first ball, their forehand, and their backhand.

That's the conventional. So if you want to have a pleasant match, well, you do that and you still win. So the question is do I do this and make it easy for them, or do I play differently and make them more uneasy, make it more difficult for them?

So very often it's like that for me. It's very pleasant for me to do a dropshot or a passing shot. I'm not trying to avoid the fight.

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