"It was silence, I felt his pain": Coach Ivan Ljubicic recalls phone call with Federer before retirement
ATPThursday, 27 July 2023 at 19:00
Roger Federer’s ex-coach Ivan Ljubicic has revealed that he
felt the ‘pain’ in the last call before the Swiss tennis star’s retirement.
The 41-year-old ended his illustrious career in September 2022
after struggling with injuries over the last few years.
Ljubicic was quoted in a report where he revealed what happened
during the phone call he had with Federer before his retirement.
"It was a phone call. But it didn’t come out of the
blue,” he said. “It was some time that we he’d had kind of doubts if he ever
will come back. But it was silence. I didn’t know what to say, honestly. It’s
hard to… I felt his pain.
"I felt, it was not an easy phone call for him, so I
tried to give him comfort as much as I could, you know, but I needed comfort,
too, so it was a difficult, difficult moment. But again, you know, it did not
come as a surprise. We kind of all felt like it was coming sooner rather than
later.”
Talking about working with the former world number one, Ljubicic
stated that no one could have turned the offer down but also revealed that doubts
started to creep in when Federer had a tough time winning a Grand Slam.
"When Roger asks you to coach him, you say yes,” he
said. “I mean, it is zero doubt. But then, some time passes and then you’re
like, okay : ‘well, if he didn’t win a slam in whatever, four and a half years,
why do I think I’m going to be the one who’s going to change all that, or help
change that?’ So there was the time there, of course you have doubts in your
abilities, in your work.”
Federer finish his career as one of the greats in the
history of men’s singles tennis, having won 20 Grand Slam titles. He was the
first to achieve that milestone.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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