Robert Federer: 'Me and my wife felt ashamed for Roger's behaviour'

In an interview, Robert Federer, Roger's father, recalled how Swiss player's character evolved from being a bad boy to probably the most loyal player on Tour.

"Roger had a certain expectation of the way he wanted to play.

When things didn't go his way, that's the point when he got so annoyed", said Robert. "We (me and wife Lynette) sometimes felt really ashamed.

We often took him aside many times and said, Roger, I am not going along with you anymore, I am not playing the fool next to the court while you are performing.

They made me understand the overall game, I have to come to the net, I have to try to finish. I had to take chances and then as you evolve you become stronger as a player.

I would get balls I thought I could not get to, with my talent and hand-eye coordination as well as my my technique, I was able to pull of shots I never thought I could do.

That connected everything. And tennis really became a lot fun for me."

Lynette also recalled one of his conversations with Roger when he was a teenager: "I used to tell him, Your bad behaviours like sending an invitation to your opponent to say, Here I am, beat me."

Federer's coach Severin Luthi concluded:

"The most important thing is that you are authentic, that you are yourself, and that's what Roger is.

Off the court I think it's very important but also on the court if you try to show things that are not really inside of you, then it doesn't work. The whole puzzle doesn't work."