Wimbledon 2012: Roger Federer loves being back to familiar territory

Roger Federer loves seeing the Centre Court without any spectators inside and cherishes those idyllic moments when he doesn’t have to worry about a thing in the world other than enjoying a cup of tea at the All England Club balcony, broods the six-time Wimbledon champion.

The simple charms of world’s most prestigious grand slam tournament make him romantically attached to Wimbledon, Federer admitted in an interview, recollecting that he first realised the long established history of the tournament in 2003 when his name was inducted into the Champions Roll of Honour after he beat Mark Philippoussis in the final to bag the first of his 16 grand slam trophies.

“Go see the chairman and have a relaxed chat, maybe some tea on the balcony, that for me is the favourite part of Wimbledon, next to obviously playing the big matches”, the 30-year-old Swiss said.

The sweet nostalgia of the grass court puts him under pressure to perform while arousing in him a sense of pride as well, Federer said, acknowledging that the dual effect has helped him “grow as a person and as a player”.

“I felt like I had an obligation towards Wimbledon, towards the club, to represent tennis as a whole, as a statesman, as well as just being the classic young up and coming tennis player”, he added.

Meanwhile, experts predict a new rivalry brewing between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic during the post-Federer era, as both players exude similar approaches to the game and play aggressively, which is uncharacteristic of the classiness of Roger Federer.

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