Tennis coach Sven Swinnen recently opened up about his time with Roger Federer and lauded the Swiss for his ability to divert his attention away from the game while on a break and regain the same level of concentration as soon as required.
42-year-old Swinnen is a former tennis player who has turned into a national coach and is currently working with Dominic Stricker, a promising talent from Switzerland. Stricker is ranked No. 106 in the ATP rankings at the moment.
Swinnen had a chat with Jill Craybas on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast and answered a few questions about Federer. Swinnen spoke on the former World No. 1’s ability to live in the moment and be focused when required, saying:
“One thing that impressed me a lot with Roger was his on-and-off switch. He could talk about anything when on a break but would switch on the focus right away. He could ask you various questions when away but then if he stood up again, he would be at it.” Swinnen further weighed in on the 20-time Grand Slam winner’s work ethic, marveling at his ability to switch on and off depending on the situation.
“He went back to his practice, worked hard and if there was a break again, he would switch off, relax well, and then start again. That was the one big quality he had. He could really switch on the focus,” said Swinnen.
The 42-year-old also revealed that the 20-time Grand Slam champion loved the ball coming onto his racquet even in his junior years, stating:
“I remember, he always played freely as a junior. He used to swing the racquet like crazy and the ball would fly anywhere. But for him, it was the right way. He wanted to feel the ball and swing that racquet.” Swinnen moved to the USA after his school and studied at the University of Oregon Athletics. He has been working with Stricker since 2019, when the latter was still playing at the junior level.
Roger Federer honored by Wimbledon during 2023 editionRoger Federer honored on Centre Court: Wimbledon 2023 Roger Federer honored on Centre Court: Wimbledon 2023
Roger Federer was honored for his impact on tennis by the All England Club during the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. The Swiss arrived in the Royal Box at Centre Court for a ceremony celebrating his record of eight Wimbledon men’s singles titles.
The crowd, which included Princess Kate, gave him a standing ovation that lasted for one and a half minutes. A video of Federer’s time at SW19 was shown during the ceremony.
The first of the Swiss’ 20 Majors was the Wimbledon title in 2003. The 41-year-old went on to win the tournament every year until 2007 and secured three more titles in 2009, 2012, and 2017.
