THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 29, 2021

Roger Federer

Press Conference

R. FEDERER/A. Mannarino

6-4, 6-7, 3-6, 6-2 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. We don't know exactly, but maybe you're playing one of your last slams. I wonder if you feel pressure and enjoy your games or you feel no pressure, feel free to play?

ROGER FEDERER: No, I mean, I think it's more just about first-round tennis, especially here at Wimbledon. If you see what happened to him, you know how difficult and complicated it can be to move sometimes. Players go down. I'm happy it didn't happen to me.

I had one small, tiny slip as I was doing a serve and volley. That's more the focus. Not wanting to lose in the first round, so you want to fight against all that stuff.

I played against a good opponent today so I knew the danger was always going to be there if I don't get on a roll early, even though it might have looked like I did. As the match went on, I think he got into the match better and better.

To answer your question, no, I don't feel a particular way. You might think it's one of the last slams, nobody knows, I don't know. From that standpoint, I take it as a regular first round, which there's always pressure there, in my opinion.

Q. Is it at all frustrating for you in the fourth set you had a really good run of games, it seemed like you were starting to play well, then his injury happened? You didn't get to see where your game was going, if that makes sense.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, look, I tried to definitely mix up my game a little bit more again towards the fourth set because clearly it wasn't working in the third. He was getting too comfortable from the baseline, taking charge from there.

Up until that point I had a solid maybe first two sets serving, as well. I wish I could have gotten more into his service games like in previous times when I played him. Somehow it wasn't possible. I think it also had something to do with maybe being the first round here and him doing a good job.

Like you said, I think I was maybe turning things around a little bit. I would have been interested to see if I get through that fourth set normally. I was going to be able to change my game, the points, the way they were created nicely. That would have given me options going into the fifth. Then again, who knows.

It was just a terrible ending, one I don't like to see. I don't know, I just felt really down, especially with everything I went through with my knee. That was his knee, as well. I hope he's not out for a long time.

I don't know. I just felt like it was really a bad ending. But okay, that's how it goes sometimes. I just hope he is not out for long, like I said.

Q. Could I quickly ask you about the football yesterday. You must have been pretty happy watching Switzerland. What did you make of the match? Did you watch it? Could you give me a prediction of how you think they'll get on against Spain in the quarterfinals?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, it was a great football day yesterday overall just in terms of quality of matches, excitement with the Croatian match already against Spain. The same thing happened with Switzerland against France.

I don't know. Look, I don't watch football all the time. I watch my home team in Basel and that's about it. Then sometimes obviously national games. I don't love the friendlies so much, to be honest.

From that standpoint, I just thought they fought super well. With the situation of being up 1-0, missing the penalty, then everything changing within half an hour. It would have been so easy just to let go.

I was really proud of the way they fought. It just shows in sports, in football in particular, when the team pulls together, really believes that they can do it, that you can move mountains really. They did that yesterday against a team we know was one of the favorites to win.

Of course, penalty shootouts are so brutal. Obviously on the edge of your seat. That was me, too. I feel bad for the French team and the players because I like to watch them a lot. I would have loved to have seen them more. That's how it goes.

Now I hope the best for Switzerland. I hope we can replicate another match like this, not celebrate too hard, take it to the next level. That would be historic for us at a big event like this to go into the semis.

But Spain is tough obviously. It's a nice moment for Swiss football, definitely.

Q. We've just seen Serena Williams unfortunately have to retire after slipping.

ROGER FEDERER: C'mon.

Q. No, it's very sad. Is it substantially more slippery under the roof? What do you feel about the conditions?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, as I was walking out, the referee asked me how I was feeling about the court. I said, I think the court plays normally as we know it.

I do feel it feels a tad more slippery maybe under the roof. I don't know if it's just a gut feeling. You do have to move very, very carefully out there. If you push too hard in the wrong moments, you do go down.

I do feel it's drier during the day. With the wind and all that stuff, it takes the moist out of the grass.

But this is obviously terrible.

Yeah, I don't think it plays very different. Again, I'm also moving carefully. This is what I told the team, as well. They thought I moved very well. Under the circumstances, those first two matches are always extremely difficult. But it's always been like this. I feel for a lot of players it's super key to get through those first two rounds because the grass is more slippery, it is more soft. As the tournament progresses, usually it gets harder and easier to move on.

This is obviously terrible that it's back-to-back matches and it hits Serena as well. Oh, my God, I can't believe it.