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US OPEN

September 4, 2019

Roger Federer

New York, NY, USA

G. DIMITROV/R. Federer

3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was the medical issue you were dealing with?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I just needed some treatment on my upper - what is it - back, neck. Just needed to try to loosen it up, crack it and see if it was going to be better.

Yeah, but this is Grigor's moment and not my body's moment, so... It's okay.

Q. When did you sense that you were in trouble in this match?
ROGER FEDERER: I mean, when you're down you feel worse. Had moments that I was in the lead most of the time. Had a chance to come back in the fourth. Start of the fourth wasn't ideal. Start of the fifth wasn't ideal. That was running behind. That was tough.

Q. You said before the tournament you were feeling physically great. At what point did the back arise for you?
ROGER FEDERER: Had a little bit this afternoon. That's it. I was able to play. It's okay. It's how it goes. I tried my best. By far not too bad to give up or anything.

Grigor was able to put me away. I fought with what I had. That's it. So it's okay.

Q. What made him so difficult tonight, particularly against your serve?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I thought he was tough off the baseline. He mixed up well, which gave me all sorts of problems with the rhythm. Could never really feel comfortable off the baseline.

That's something in the past I've always been able to dominate, I'd say. That was not the case tonight. He did a good job there.

Q. It's been a relatively comfortable run for you last seven times. Did he do anything today differently that surprised you?
ROGER FEDERER: No, because we've played him many times before. I mean, it's the Grigor I expected. He has returned against me in the past also a little bit further back. He has been in, chipped, come over. He has the arsenal to do all sorts of things. He used it all tonight to great effect.

He played well.

Q. I know you've just come off the court, but what do you see yourself doing the last few months of the year, what tournaments? Do you feel you might need to have a little rest?
ROGER FEDERER: I mean, the whole thing? I don't know. I guess Laver Cup, Shanghai, Basel, maybe Paris, London. That's the schedule for now. I don't know if the team have other ideas or not.

I'm happy to get a bit of a break now, go back to practice, reassess and attack from there.

Q. Sort of a slow start to the tournament with losing a couple sets early. After falling off that track, what is your disappointment level?
ROGER FEDERER: Just low. Just disappointed it's over because I did feel like I was actually playing really well after a couple of rocky starts.

It's just a missed opportunity to some extent that you're in the lead, you can get through, you have two days off after. It was looking good.

But got to take the losses. They're part of the game. Looking forward to family time and all that stuff, so... Life's all right.

Q. When you were up two sets to one, were you feeling worry about your serve? I didn't understand all what you said. Maybe you said something about your problems. What were you feeling up two sets to one?
ROGER FEDERER: I was happy I was up two sets to one (smiling).

Q. Physically?
ROGER FEDERER: Physically, yeah, I felt it the whole time. That's it. I was able to play with it. My bad not to win.

Q. Do you feel at your age you'll be have opportunities to win these tournaments?
ROGER FEDERER: If I think I'm going to get more opportunities?

Q. To win Grand Slams at 38.
ROGER FEDERER: I don't have the crystal ball. Do you?

Q. I don't know.
ROGER FEDERER: Exactly. So we never know. I hope so, of course. I think still it's been a positive season. Disappointing now, but I'll get back up, I'll be all right.

Q. This will be the first Grand Slam semifinal, final, without two of the big three. What does that mean for men's tennis, in your opinion?
ROGER FEDERER: Not much.

Q. The Wimbledon defeat was quite rough. At any point tonight, does that come into your mind? Some people suspect a loss like that lingers for longer than you hope.
ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I didn't think of it. If you move on, it's a thing of the past. I do remember playing good semis there, so it wasn't bad. If I think of that, I'm, like, really happy actually how I was able to play the last whatever, 15, 20 sets of the tournament.

I know people read into it. They think, all that stuff. That is definitely not the reason why I lost tonight. I was ready to go, try my best. It wasn't enough. It's purely here tonight.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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