Category: Players

Preview: This Summer on MT-Desk

ATP & WTA Majors Players Sitting Across Mertov's Tennis Desk Series Tactical Analysis 6 Comments

Dear friends and tennis fans,

Following a three-month-long absence on new posts (because of an important period in my “other life” that ended with great success I shall add), I am back to dedicating my time to tennis, the sport that I love. I planned trips to big tournaments this summer, and I may add more depending on my schedule. I will be happy to share my thoughts as much as possible on MT-Desk.

Here is what you will find on Mertov’s Tennis Desk during the next 2 months:
– Frequent comments and updates from Roland Garros 2016 on Twitter and MT-Desk, throughout the three-week period (Qualifying and Main Draw).
RG2

– Frequent comments and updates from Wimbledon 2016 on Twitter and MT-Desk, throughout the three weeks (Qualifying and Main Draw).
Wimby

– Match analysis, tactical comments,and pictures from the world of tennis…
– More chats with players for the “Sitting Across Mertov’s Tennis Desk” series…
– I will, at some point, probably at the start of Wimbledon, post the English version of my article/story on Cagla Buyukakcay, the 2016 Istanbul Cup winner, and her trials and tribulations during the pre-2016 period that will appear on the upcoming issue of Tenis Dunyasi, Turkey’s number one monthly tennis magazine.
Cagla

And later in the summer —> Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati (ATP Masters 1000 and WTA Premier 5), and more…
Cincy

As always, keep your comments and feedback coming on Twitter, or here in the comments section, or by email.

Note: Click here to follow MT-Desk on Twitter

No More under the Radar

ATP Players 4 Comments

On Friday, men’s quarterfinals in Cincinnati featured five top-10 players, the number 13, 23, and a qualifier by the name of Alexandr Dolgopolov. When the day ended, the world’s top three players, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Roger Federer took their place in the semifinals, along with that guy Dolgopolov. He is from Ukraine and he is ranked number 66 in the ATP Tour. He may require an introduction because he redefined the term “going under the radar” this week.

20150820_115551

The Ukrainian has won five matches, and has yet to play on Center Court. While the other winners of yesterday and today have for the most part enjoyed (or suffered) the company of a dozen or more media members in their after-match press conferences, only one media member asked to talk to Dolgopolov yesterday following his win vs. Jerzy Janowicz, and today, as a semifinalist, that number increased to a whopping two. As one of those two (the other was the knowledgeable Pete Ziebron – Twitter: @tennisacumen), I asked him if the lack of attention bothered him or not. He shrugged his shoulders, then laughed and said “No, it’s good that I save some time, I mean, I can concentrate on my tennis, that’s my concern now.” When asked if he was surprised by his run to the semifinals as a qualifier, his answer was two-fold: “I always think there is a possibility that I get a result. Obviously I couldn’t come here and expect to be in the semifinals from qualifying, with a tough match against [Santiago] Giraldo in the qualies [won 6-3 3-6 6-4]. I was playing quite good actually since the grass-court season. I had a lot of tight matches and a few bad losses. I couldn’t expect to make the semis here coming in, but I know I have the ability to do that. So both, I am surprised and not surprised.”

Many tennis fans believe that lower-ranked players faces less pressure when they surprisingly advance to the later rounds, and face highly ranked players, because they have “nothing to lose.” In Dolgopolov’s case, there is no doubt that that this is an invalid assumption. On Thursday, when he faced Janowicz, it was obvious looking from the outside that he was under tremendous pressure. He led 5-2 in the final set and had two match point opportunities that slipped out of his hands. In the next game, on his serve, he got very tight, and visibly could not hit the ball freely. He ended the game with double fault, giving up the break advantage. He calmed down during the game change, and with a little bit of help from his opponent who committed two unforced errors and two double faults, Dolgopolov was able to close the match out. The relief was clearly showing on his face as he shook Janowicz’ hand and left the court later.

20150820_131029(0)

The Ukrainian confirmed that he felt the weight of that match on his shoulders, especially when he was leading: “I was thinking about [the win] too much when I was closer to winning. It was a big match for me point-wise you know, because I lost some ranking spots in the start of the year, I had a surgery last year. It was really important to find my game and some results because I have not had a great year so far this year. So that match I was very nervous. I just tried to survive, get the ball back in play. I don’t think I played as well as I played today.”

Against Berdych today, Dolgopolov seemed to give a clinic on how to pacify the big Czech’s powerful game that is known to reduce opponents to just getting balls back in the court. Already in his first service game, Dolgopolov put to use the 1-2 punch, following up his serve with a winner attempt or an aggressive shot, enough to send an early message to Berdych: he was not going to play the match on his opponent’s terms. As he confirmed later, playing aggressive was the one clear idea he had before going into the match. Once he held his serve, he remained unpredictable, mostly avoiding longer, hard-hitting, monotonous rallies which would have given Berdych rhythm. He worked the angle cross-courts, followed by hard flat down-the-line winner attempts. He utilized his sizzling slices, well-known drop shots, keeping Berdych off-balance, not allowing him to direct traffic during points. He even did something rare on a few occasions which is to all of a sudden move into the court during the rally, and almost half-volley the ball and follow it up to the net in order to rush Berdych (if you have access to match replay, watch the 6-4 4-2, 15-30 point on Berdych’s serve for an example of this). These patterns left Berdych unsure of what was to come next and unable to plant his feet to unleash his ground strokes. Again, if you have access to replay, the point at 6-4 2-1 40-15 is a wonderful example of a long rally during which Dolgopolov uses a wide variety of shots and effects on the ball, always keeping Berdych on the stretch, eventually forcing him into an error.

20150821_125724

Surprisingly, Dolgopolov said he did not have any specific pre-planned patterns as he stepped on the court for the match, other than playing an overall aggressive game: “I mean, I was just finding ways to win the rallies. I did not have a really set-up plan on how to play him because he is solid from the baseline. It’s tough to find ways with him. I was searching for what is best for me on this day. I think I was very good at hitting angles on my forehand and that was probably the key in the match. But I can’t say that there was a specific tactic you know. I know he is an all-around player. He does not give you a lot of easy points and he does not have bad shots. It was more about what he will show today and what I will show. I played him a few times. You can see if he is playing good or not. If he feels uncomfortable than you try to make him play more. Obviously, I had more or less a tactic that I wanted to play aggressive, but then, I was just looking to see what happens on the court.” In retrospect, it is so true that when a certain pattern worked in his favor, Dolgopolov looked to repeat it as much as he could. But those patterns were discovered as the match progressed and not planned in advance. The point is that Dolgopolov’s case, at least in this match, shows that we should not universally assume that every player goes into a match with a detailed scheme already mapped out in their head.

During the match, a problem that has existed for years in the Western & Southern Open once again resurfaced. When Berdych and Dolgopolov started their match, Serena Williams and Ana Ivanovic were expected to begin their match shortly after on the adjacent Center Court. Until the women began their match, loud announcements and music could clearly be heard from the Grandstand. Other players have complained about this in the past, as well as earlier in the week. It was no exception with the two men who had to play until 4-3 in the first set with that noise, at which point the match started on Center Court and the music stopped. Until then, both Dolgopolov and Berdych complained several time to the chair umpire about it. Dolgopolov voiced his anger twice in the early games, and Berdych followed suit, especially after he went down a break at 2-4. “I thought it was disrespectful you know” Dolgopolov said, “I understand that it’s the Center Court but it was too loud. Both of us said it a few times. There has been also other things in this tournament with which I am not happy [would not elaborate]. It’s their choice. I mean, it’s their choice if they want to make the players happy or make the money and do what they care about. Our job is to go out and play. Nothing changes if you are not happy with something.”

On Saturday, Dolgopolov will face the ultimate challenge when he walks on the Center Court to take on the world number 1 Novak Djokovic in the first semifinal match scheduled for 1 PM. Djokovic is well aware of his opponent. He said that although his prepration remains the same on match days, he will do specific things during the morning warm-up in preparation for his opponent because he is a “different player” than the one he face today (Wawrinka). In any case, one thing is certain: Dolgopolov will no longer have the luxury to remain under the radar to his opponents, the media, or the fans.

Note: Watch for commentary posts here and stay tuned to MT-Desk on Twitter for frequent live updates.

David Goffin: Adjusting to Higher Expectations

ATP Players 2 Comments
Source: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

David Goffin first made a name for himself in 2012, as a 21-year old, when he reached the fourth round of the French Open as a qualifier, and eventually lost to his childhood hero Roger Federer. Then, last year, he went on a tear in the summer, winning 34 out of 36 matches, a stretch that included three challenger and two ATP Event titles, establishing himself as a top 30 player. Steady progress and consistent results have propelled the Belgian to the number 14 position entering the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati this week.

So far, in the ATP 1000 event in Cincinnati, he is keeping his end of the bargain as the 13th seed. On Wednesday, he defeated the dangerous Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-4 7-6 to earn a spot in the third round where he will face the world number 1 player Novak Djokovic. He played his “A” game, staying solid from the baseline and forcing Verdasco to take risks which led to a few winners, but also to a cluster of errors by his opponent.

When I asked him about how he managed to handle a “loose-cannon” adversary like Verdasco, he said that he was well aware of what awaited him: “If he does not make mistakes, it’s very difficult to control his ball. You have to really try to make him overplay and miss, while you remain aggressive. If you are not up to the task, he takes matters into his own hands and complicates everything for you. So I tried not to back up during the rallies, make him move, especially on his backhand side because everyone knows that it is the less-effective side. But we also know that his forehand is really great. I tried to play the right zones, keep the ball deep, and play aggressive so that he does not seize control of the point and misses a bit. There are rallies like the ones at the end of the first set that he wins, then you can only say “well played” – Verdasco uncharacteristically outlasted Goffin in two consecutive long rallies in the tenth game before finally losing it, and the set 6-4. Then again, if he was playing every point like those, he would not be where he currently is [Verdasco is ranked 43].”

Most players have an off-season period in the middle of the year to fine-tune their games and rest their bodies. Goffin did not have such luxury this year. He nevertheless seems happy with his game’s progress: “For now, things are working out ok. I try to work on playing my game on my terms, play aggressive. Obviously if I have to run a lot and stay far behind the baseline, I am clearly not as good. So I try to play with my weapons, which are my return, my footwork, my speed, the quality of my shots while playing fast to find a rhythm in rallies that bothers other players. I try to improve my forward movement; I think the most important thing is that I stay aggressive.”

That being said, Goffin also knows that with his higher ranking, he will also have to revamp his schedule next year: “There are always small blocks of time during which you can work on your physical preparation or work on your game, such as the period after Wimbledon. But, in my case, I had already engaged to play this tournament. I signed up for it 6 weeks ago. It is hard to change and not go, after that. And then, on grass, you never know how it will go. As for me, last year I went back to clay courts last year after grass. I played well in Challengers and won, and then I won Kitzbuhel. So, this year I had decided to go back again to clay courts after Wimbledon. When I made those plans, I did not know that I was going to reach the finals at s’Hertogenbosch [on grass] and the 4th round at Wimbledon, and that the grass season was going to turn out to be that draining. So, it’s true that when I see my latest results on clay, after Rome, Roland Garros, and the grass-court season, it would have served me well to have a break now. I still had good post-Wimbledon clay-court season, I still reached the finals in Gstaad after Wimbledon. It’s a scheduling choice, but I think one that we have to reconsider next year.”

He still looks forward to the US Open and the Davis Cup. Belgium is in the semifinals of Davis Cup for the first time since 1999, and there is a lot expected out of the 24-year-old top Belgian player. According to Goffin, although being the most accomplished men’s tennis player in the history of Belgian tennis does not necessarily pique the curiosity of the tennis fans at his home, largely due to the success of women such as Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin who have both attained the number 1 ranking in the world, he admits that going further in Davis Cup could add to his career: “It could be an exceptional moment if we could reach the finals or do better.”

For now, the question revolves more around how to stay fresh physically than how to handle the added pressure of reaching an elevated status. When asked if he felt the weight of any extra pressure, he responded: “Not necessarily. I will try to do my best just like I do at any other tournament, so there is not really any particular extra pressure. I will be seeded at the US Open, so maybe more will be expected out of me. I suppose that in Davis Cup people will expect a lot from me, especially the two singles points for the team, that’s clear. Well, I will try to manage this pressure well. In any case, I deal with pressure a lot better now than in the past. I am also excited. I played a lot of matches in the last few months. To stay fresh will be the most important. My confidence is there, but I will need to endure matches that require three sets to win.”

The most daunting challenge for Goffin in the immediate future will be his next round opponent Novak Djokovic. They are scheduled to play the second match on Center Court and a win against the Serb would put Goffin under the spotlight more than ever. For his part, the larger goal remains the same: “I don’t function in terms of results, but rather in quality of my game. I will try to produce my best tennis the rest of this summer.”

Note: Watch for commentary posts here and stay tuned to MT-Desk on Twitter for frequent live updates from Cincinnati.

Rafa Fading Away? Think Again!

ATP Majors Players 5 Comments

If you have observed the media write-ups and social media ramblings, you may have sensed the underlying theme behind all the flashy headlines attempting to grab your attention on Dustin Brown’s victory over Rafael Nadal. For example, I give ten points to Sun Sport for creativity, for sticking the picture of Brown screaming, and his hair flying everywhere while the headline on top read “Rasta la vista, Rafa.”

Copyright: thesun.co.uk
Copyright: thesun.co.uk

Having said that, the larger question invading most write-ups and analyses center on Rafa, or more precisely, on the question of whether or not he will ever regain the form that made him an elite-level player over the last decade. The fact that this question pops up now deserves its own perspective.

Rafa lost to Novak Djokovic one month ago, on a court that he views as his temple. Let me modify that statement: he got dominated by the Serb in three straight sets, 7-5 6-3 6-1, eroding away as the match progressed. The invincible player was finally taken down from his throne, on the red dirt that he cherishes. Yet, only a few such as this article announced the nadir for Rafa, the way they announced it for Pete Sampras in 2001 or Roger Federer in 2013. Yes, it is true that the challenge imposed on Djokovic to show that he was capable of winning Roland Garros and defeating Nadal in Paris weighed heavier than any other topic. That being said, Rafa losing his iron hold on his favorite tournament to his biggest rival should have raised more uncertainty about his future than it did.

Now we find out that those concerns were patiently waiting in a for his possible defeat at Wimbledon. The fact that he lost to yet another outside-the-top-100 player early in the tournament only added fuel to the fire. Suddenly, speculations multiplied over the last 24 hours on whether or not he will ever be a top player again, or a top-5 player, or even if this may be his last year on the ATP Tour. Let’s be clear: the “less-than-a-day-old-yet-explosive” trend of declaring Rafa’s rapid downfall originate not in his loss to “Dreddy” Brown yesterday, but in the lingering effects of the one to Djokovic in Paris. Since 2010, Rafa has not advanced to the second week in Wimbledon and has suffered defeats to opponents outside the top 100 (Lukas Rosol, Nick Kyrgios, Steve Darcis) before the one against Brown yesterday. In contrast, Rafa losing to anyone on the Philippe Chatrier court would signify a career-changing moment for Rafa and that someone (ask Robin Soderling) and shatter the economy (ok, I exaggerate). The loss to Brown is the final push that opened wide the heavy door, while Djokovic was the one who removed its rusty hinges, unlocked it and left it ajar. Now the trend of calling for the gloom and doom of Rafa’s career is enjoying free entrance into the domain of drama. And the traffic to that entrance is flowing freely!

100_5835Rafa at his best: practicing hard…

Great champions have always made it their business to prove the pundits wrong, especially if the former believe that the latter is ready to put them in the coffin and send them to the graveyard (yes! I am using metaphors). Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Serena Williams have all done it, as well as Stan Wawrinka (remember how long he was treated a one-tournament wonder after 2014 Australian Open?), Kim Clijsters and Jana Novotna, to a smaller scale. You can bet that Rafa will do everything he can, in order to prove that the latest surge in the call for the end of his career reflects bad judgment. If anything at all, the Big 4 have repeatedly shown that they can reach for higher grounds when most pundits believe the opposite.

In the middle of this “end-of-Rafa” mania, I dare to remind everyone that if Roland Garros started tomorrow, barring Djokovic, Nadal would be the favorite to win. I use “dare” because I did just that earlier on Tweeter and I got anything from “Nadal’s bubble has burst” to “err… no” from one gentleman and an overall disagreement (or reserved outlook) from a couple of others. I also got strange looks from two colleagues with whom I dared to discuss it (a third agreed with me, but he was Spanish, does that count?). The reasons given were how bad he has done in other tournaments on clay, how his forehand has regressed, and how the coach-player relationship with uncle Toni has run its course. While I was given the examples of Rafa’s losses on clay, how bad Djokovic dominated him in Paris, and his woes on other surfaces, when it came down to it, nobody could say “[fill in the name] would be the favorite against Rafa in a Roland Garros match.” While I agree that Wawrinka, Murray and a couple of others can be more competitive against Rafa today in Paris, I would question anyone’s objectivity who would call them “favorite” in that setting.

Nadal will get back to work, train hard, and find a way to remain longer among the elite players. On a larger scale, I believe that the call for Rafa’s end as an elite player is chaotically premature. Unless he walks away from the game (which is also included in the speculations circulating around, obviously some have somehow built an information streamline into the Rafa camp), I would warn anyone who banks on him to fade away. Can he get back to number 1? Unless Djokovic, Federer, and Murray have historical collapses in form, that seems unlikely in the near future. Can he get back into the top 5? Of course. Can he win another Major? Absolutely. The most likely place would once again be in Paris. There is almost a year before next year’s French Open (and shamefully, I am not even discussing the next U.S. Open and the Australian Open).

To claim that Rafa will somehow continue to compete and practice, yet not find his form during that period, or at least fail to get back to a level nearing his top form, seems hasty. Injuries can always halt improvement and end careers, and that remains a possibility with the Spaniard. However, the chances of Rafa getting back to elite level remain a higher possibility if he is not hampered by injuries. One loss (again, namely the one to Djokovic) does not take you from elite level to an ordinary player. If that was the case, top players would not still be on top after those types of losses (remember Serena Williams losing to Virginie Razzano in Roland Garros 2012? Sampras and Federer losing to Bastl in 2001 and Stakhovsky in 2013 respectively, both in Wimbledon?). Rafa losing to Brown? Been there done that in London before, and that never stopped him from remaining at the top. Losing to Djokovic at the French does not mean Rafa can no longer play on clay, or no longer win Roland Garros. The announcements and declarations ending Nadal’s career as a tennis player at the top level are not only ill-advised, but they are also hasty and impulsive. I expect cooler heads to prevail overtime.

Note: Follow Mertov’s Tennis Desk on Twitter for live updates throughout Wimbledon.

Sitting Across MT-Desk: Diego Schwartzman

ATP Majors Players Sitting Across Mertov's Tennis Desk Series 2 Comments

Interview done on May 27, 2015, at Roland Garros, following Diego’s loss to Gaël Monfils in the second round of the French Open. Score: 4-6 6-4 4-6 6-2 6-3

This was a one-on-one interview I did with Diego Schwartzman at the French Open, initially for Tenis Dunyasi magazine, the largest monthly tennis publication in Turkey. This is the English version of the interview (which was also its original version). One month earlier, Diego reached the semifinals in the Istanbul Open, his highest achievement at the professional level for the 22-year-old Argentine. He earned a ranking of 57 on the Monday (May 4, 2015) following the Istanbul event, and to this day, it remains his highest ranking. Currently, he stands at number 65.

Diego gracefully accepted to do a one-on-one interview despite having lost a heartbreaker and I cannot stress enough how delightful and modest he is as a person. I have already had the chance to observe him live at the Istanbul Open earlier in the summer. He handled his progress to the semifinal round, and his loss to the eventual winner Roger Federer, with class and sincerity. As if his character needed a confirmation, as I was waiting for him to come, few South American journalists, especially one from Argentina, could not praise him enough to me, telling me what a “nice guy” Schwartzman was and that I would enjoy my interview with him. They were completely right. When I told Diego about this right before we began chatting and mentioned his high reputation among the South American media, he extended a genuine smile and nodded his head with modesty.

About today’s match… In the 4th set Gaël started getting more aggressive compared to the first three sets and it worked for him. Then, in the beginning of the fifth set, you also started well and leveled back the match. He began to pump the crowd up, and you joined in as well, began showing your fist and celebrating the points won with animated passion. However, do you think it would it would have been better to stay calm against someone like Monfils at that point of the match and not join the “pump-fist” parade, because it only motivated the crowd to get even more behind Gaël, further energizing him?

Diego:
I understand what you say. But I was also playing the first three sets aggressive, focused, solid, motivated. I remember in the fourth set, it was 2-2, I had two break points to go up 3-2, and he hit two aces in the break points. Then he felt well, and he broke me immediately after. He started to play with the groove. It’s good for him, not so good for me. In the fifth set, I played well again and had chances in the first games, but again he played well, broke my serve, and served amazing after that. I am not so sure if the motivation from the body language was really the big factor. He served very well in the fifth set.

Few weeks ago, you did very well in the Istanbul Open, reaching the semi-final round of an ATP event, for the first time in your career. You had one year with great success in the past, then last year you had an excellent year in the Challenger circuit. Now, you reach higher in ATP events and to Monfils in 5 sets in the 2nd round of a Major. Now that you are reaching for the next level in the pro circuit, do you sense that Istanbul Open was a big step, a turning point for you, and your confidence?

Diego:
Yes! Istanbul was amazing for everything. I played very well against good players like Jurgen Melzer, Santiago Giraldo.. I played very well in all the matches there [Schwartzman lost to the eventual winner Roger Federer 6-4 in the third set, in the semifinals]. Then I go to Rome and also brought that good feeling there. Then, I came here and played well again the first round. And now I just played a 5-set match against Monfils. I feel really well. I need to be focused on my tennis, training, work with my team the same way. I need to be a “regular” during the whole year and improve my tennis continuously. I need to go step by step.

DiegoSchwartzman in his second round win over Giraldo at the Istanbul Open

You just had an injury.
Diego: Yes in Rome.
But it was not a major injury.
Diego: No, it was an extension, 2 mm here (points to the inside of his upper leg), I can’t play in Nice so I pulled out. I came directly here, I felt well all the time. It’s ok.
Have you ever had big injuries in the past?
Diego: No, never, that was actually my first injury.

Question about your tennis game… What is your next goal now? I am asking this in the context of your game. You hit every shot in the book, you hit spin and slice, you hit drop shots and angles, you come to the net, you hit kick or slice serves, as well as a hard first one. So what next would you like to technically improve in your game?

Diego: I need to improve my second serve. My first serve is good I think. Then I need to improve all in my tennis, physically and mentally. My I need to improve my forehand, backhand, and all the other things, because now the players are so good. I don’t have many chances in the match so I need to improve for the few chances that come, I need to be fully focused at that moment and really want to seize that chance.

When you practice in the off-season, do you focus on one particular thing to improve or do you focus on everything?

Diego: No, no, many things many things. The serve, the forehand, you can improve a lot in many things.

You have a big family, two brothers and one sister. Does your family show interest in tennis, or do they love tennis through you? Do they really know the game?

Diego: Yes they show interest. They know about me, and therefore now, they know even more about tennis.

So you are the only one in your family to play competitive tennis?

Diego: Yes, my father and mother play tennis but only amateur tennis in the club on weekends, not professional like me. They are very good models for parents. They support me in every way.

Note: Follow Mertov’s Tennis Desk on Twitter

Roger Federer, a Master of Public Relations

ATP Players 2 Comments

Roger Federer may have missed his best chance to add the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 title to his resume by losing in the finals to his compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka, but there is little doubt that he is the ultimate winner in terms of managing his public profile more profitably than any other athlete in tennis – perhaps in sports. The number of records held by the 17-time Slam winner probably overlaps that of any other player in the history of the game. Nevertheless, his career earnings in prize money from his athletic performances pale in comparison to his yearly income from endorsements from companies such as Nike, Rolex, Credit Suisse, Moet & Chandon and Wilson. In fact, the amount that he earns from endorsements in just two years – around $95 million – surpasses the amount that he has earned throughout his career in prize money – over $80 million and counting.

If one needed an example of how Federer & his PR team successfully negotiate his impeccable image, they need not look any further back then the series of announcements and press conferences since Federer’s public acknowledgement back in December of 2013 that he and his wife were expecting their third child. The brief and celebratory announcement that hit the waves via twitter included one sentence: “Mirka and I are very happy to share the news that Myla & Charlene will be big sisters in 2014! Happy Holidays.” No other information was provided and there is good reason for that.

Since then, Federer, who notoriously – and rightfully – draws a clear line between his public and private life, rarely mentioned anything about his wife’s pregnancy during any press conference, outside of a few words here and there indicating how happy they are. He made statements that were designed to uphold the image of a tightly-knit family, and that image is not hard to maintain because it comes naturally. Federer has always affirmed how much his family means to him, and he has frequently praised Mirka’s role in his success. There is no doubt that the happiness that Roger and Mirka and their children display has very little to do with image. They are a very close family.

Peculiarly, or so it seemed at first, none of the announcements included a due date. In this day of improved medical technology, due dates can often be estimated to the exact date, if not within a week of delivery date. However, on each occasion that a journalist initiated the ‘when-abouts’ of the due date during the press conferences, Federer’s reply has been a consistent “I don’t know.” Some saw it as pandering to the media, while others simply felt that he could opt for honesty and choose to say that he refuses to answer the question. I believe anyone who has had any experience with the media can agree that the latter option goes nowhere with media members. The pandering option is not Federer’s style either. He is no Vitas Gerulaitis who gave details of his night life or Boris Becker who has a reputation for wanting to be in front of any camera including the one that you set up in your garage. In fact, when journalists insisted in the Indian Wells tournament, he simply said that even if he knew the date he would not tell them. It’s his way of saying “move on to the next question.”

Shortly before the Monte Carlo Masters, the tournament organizers announced that Federer will indeed be a part of the field, accepting a Wild Card. In the social media, some speculated that it may have to do with his intention of solidifying his ranking in the top 4 (he is currently ranked #4). There were others that he wanted to try one more time to see if he could capture one of the rare titles that have eluded him. On the Tennis Channel they speculated that he wants to gain more points in case he has to miss a big tournament due to the delivery of their child. However, if I am connecting the dots correctly, I see an even more nuanced picture, one in which the Federer camp is carefully treading the line between providing too much information to the media and making sure that he can make the most of the clay court season during a period where the delivery date falls on a delicate time.

After his second round win over Radek Stepanek, Federer had to deal once again with more questions on the expected delivery date. Once again, he handled them masterfully. He revealed that he would put the birth of their third child ahead of any tournament saying all the right things about how supporting his wife was a “priority” to him. When pushed a bit further and asked if he was willing to miss the French Open specifically, he once again crafted his message to imply that the questions should stop there as politely as possible: ”Yeah, let’s talk about it when it would happen. At the moment we hope it’s not going to be that way.” Then, he added ”If it is, that’s what it is, you know.” He essentially came across as a great family man, a dedicated competitor, while not committing to any obligations before due time.

Seeing how delicately Federer is handling the flow of information, I do not believe it is a stretch to assume that the delivery date falls around the French Open: perhaps around the beginning, or late in the second week. If Federer were to announce the date, it would put him in the position of either withdrawing prior to the French Open, or forfeiting a match late in the tournament, making him appear somewhat inconsiderate since everyone would know that he went into the tournament with the knowledge that he would not play it out. If my speculation (and it is not much more than that at this point) turns out to be the case, it would make sense for Federer to avoid revealing the date in order to keep his options open.

For example, if the due date coincides with the final weekend at Roland Garros and Federer has made it that far, it would certainly render his decision to play the final (again, if he makes it that far) more acceptable in the eyes of the public. In another case, if the due date falls within the first couple of days of the tournament, I believe the tournament director would gladly honor his request to schedule his match on the last day of the first round matches, or even in an unusual move, schedule it on the first day of second rounds (provided ATP regulations has no mandate against that). Neither the participants nor the tennis world would perceive that as preferential treatment in the case of a man who puts his child’s birth ahead of his work. French open tournament director Gilbert Ysern would happily make that adjustment rather than lose a prime name in the draw. However, none of those options would remain if he were to make an early announcement about the date, basically forcing him to withdraw earlier, even if in hindsight, the actual delivery date would have shown that decision to be a hasty one. Of course, these are mere speculations and Federer may announce the date sooner than later. The string of announcements do however show an intention by the Federer camp to wait as long as possible prior to making a final decision in order to keep the options open.

In any case, this article does not intend to judge Federer’s business decisions or his decision-making process in family matters. It simply shows how well he and his camp are handling the situation despite him being the highest-profiled tennis player, and one of the most prominent sportsmen and/or celebrities in the world (a google search will reveal several Forbes’ rankings indicating just that). Whatever the outcome of his child’s birth, he will come out of this squeaky clean, with his image untarnished, as well as with earning the maximum amount of points to keep his ranking up, thus remain a contender on the tour. The case of the timing of the birth of the Swiss star’s third child and how efficiently Federer’s PR strategy relates to it should be a case study for all other sports celebrities in order to analyze how they could improve theirs.

2013-08-15aFedererFederer signing autographs for his fans in Cincinnati (2013)

© Mertov's Tennis Desk / 2014-2018 / All Rights Reserved / Powered by WordPress

MENU

Navigation