“We were simply no longer able to function mentally and physically,” says Anne-Sophie Mutter about the Wimbledon final in 2008, which Roger Federer lost dramatically to Rafael Nadal after almost five hours. She wrote her son an excuse for school the day after. The scar from that game still hurts.
Mother sympathizes with the announcement of Federer’s career end on the ATP tour. It is a decision that is difficult: “A decision that every artist faces. And there, too, it is important to choose the right moment.” She herself traveled to Federer for many big games in his career, set the alarm clock at night and says: “My debut in Australia only took place at the time because Australian were open.”
Federer has only been able to play at such a high level for so long because he has long since adapted his tournament planning to his physical condition and family needs: “It is definitely an athlete who also lives his life with a lot of foresight, intelligence and rigor has led. And for that, too, he deserves great respect.”
“So much elegance and seeming effortlessness”
When asked about Federer’s special feature, mother gets enthusiastic: “What I think we all admired about Roger Federer and will always admire is the variety of his game. It’s the cleverness of the serve. So it’s not just the physical condition and power that can be impressive in a tennis player. But with Federer it was always this artistically chosen aspect, also the surprise, the individuality and the spontaneity in his playing, that always amazed us. That one-handed backhand! For me as a string player – that’s just Heifetz (Jascha Heifetz, famous violinist, editor’s note) on the tennis court. There is so much feeling behind it, so much feeling for the ball, so much elegance and apparent effortlessness – that is great art.”
Anne-Sophie Mutter also emphasizes the modesty and down-to-earth nature of Federer. There is a whole generation of young tennis players who were “led” by the Swiss. She herself plans to be there at his last ATP tournament in London at the end of September.