Diego Schwartzman heaped praise on Roger Federer, saying that he is a class person on and off the court.
Federer is a 20-time Grand Slam champion and one of the greatest players of all time. His longevity and prowess need no introduction to the tennis fan. However, in recent years, he has slowed down, having had to deal with injuries in the past two seasons.
The Swiss ace played just 19 matches in that time, which is not ideal. He took nine wins and four losses in 2021, a statistic that is below his usual standards. He is expected to return in the summer of 2022 and get back to winning ways.
Schwartzman heaped praise on Federer and said that it has always been a pleasure playing and interacting with him.
“Roger Federer is a gentleman, he’s perfect on the court, but on the outside, he’s even more perfect,” he said, as quoted by Tennis World USA.
“In the players’ room joking around with everyone and being close to everyone, that’s impressive. But on the court, he makes you feel like you have no idea what to do with him.
“I had times in my games with him where I felt good playing, and it seemed like he was bored and was going to beat me whenever he wanted. He has to be the one with the most variations and tennis repertoire in history.”
Struggles
2020 and 2021 were not the best years for many, and that includes Federer. However, he wasn’t the only tennis personality with struggles in this time.
In fact, the ATP and WTA have both been struggling after 2020. The financials of both organisations were affected due to COVID-19. The ATP announced that there would be pay cuts in the prize money their tournaments offer starting from 2022.
The pre-pandemic figure was $546,355, but it has now been reduced to $500,000.
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