In a recent interview, American mogul and philanthropist Bill Gates spoke about Roger Federer and agreed that the world needs more people like the Swiss champion. Here are his words: “The surprising part about Roger Federer is this: when he was a kid he didn’t fully concentrate on tennis and didn’t give him any particular or strength training, swimming, table tennis, soccer and badminton.
He didn’t start playing tennis at a competitive level when he was a teenager. His parents as a child advised him not to take himself too seriously, delaying a sports major but focusing on more experiences.
In a world of more and more incentives, we need more people who think like Roger – people who start out broad and embrace different experiences and perspectives as they go. “
Speaking about Roger Federer’s tennis, the Gates said: “When I watch Roger Federer play I am in awe. As the late writer David Foster Wallace wrote, Roger is one of those rare athletes who seem to be exempt from the laws of physics.”
Bill Gates on Roger Federer
After an absence from the tennis courts for more than a year, barring sensational twists, Roger Federer should return to play next March at the ATP 250 tournament in Doha.
The Swiss program foresees that immediately afterwards he could participate in the ATP 500 in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and the Rotterdam tournament in the Netherlands. Roger Federer is now 39 years old and in the final stages of his career, but he is training hard to get back to top speed after a long hiatus caused by double knee surgery.
His last official match was in the Australian Open semi-final where he was defeated in three sets by Novak Djokovic with the result of 7-6; 6-4; 6-3. Number 5 in the world rankings, Federer will return to Doha after winning this tournament three times, in 2005, 2006 and 2011.
Although he will miss the Australian Open, the Swiss will aim for this 2021 where he will have Wimbledon and especially the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, one of the few competitions that Roger has never won on the single.
