With the monkey well and truly off his back after a career-defining victory at the French Open, Roger Federer will begin his pursuit of a record 15th grand slam title at Wimbledon on Monday.
The Swiss, five-times a Wimbledon champion, arrived in London in buoyant mood after finally winning his first title at Roland Garros earlier this month, making him only the sixth man to complete a career grand slam.
On the eve of trying to reclaim the crown he lost in a dramatic final to Rafael Nadal 50 weeks ago, a relaxed Federer sat down to have a chat with Reuters about how the Spaniard's withdrawal due to a knee injury will affect him, about the pressure he faces as he tries to break records and about fatherhood.
REUTERS: People have almost started to see you and Rafa as a double act in tennis because of the epic finals you have contested. Do you feel like you have lost your sidekick here this year?
FEDERER: "A little bit maybe, it just shows that it's not normal to play finals week in and week out for both of us. It's a statement to me that what I've accomplished, being so injury free and so lucky for all these years, you can't take it for granted. It just shows how hard it really is.
"It really is hard staying up there. It is so marginal. In Paris if I missed the forehand (at two sets and 3-4 down facing a break point) against Tommy Haas (in the fourth round) I would not be French Open champion right now. Things could be very different.
"I'm of course very sad for Rafa that he can't be here. Because knowing even before the first point is played at the championships that it's not possible to repeat the great final we had last year it's disappointing for me as well. Specially having played him for the last three finals here.
"In Paris he always had the upper hand over me on clay. So that added an incredible amount of pressure. Here I don't feel this at all ... that I have to win because I've beat him already twice in the finals before. I know it's in my racket if I'm going to win Wimbledon or not. While maybe in Paris I did not feel this way."
REUTERS: Is Rafa to blame for his own plight and the fact that he has suffered the injury at such an important stage of the season or is he a victim of the demands of the tour?
FEDERER: "Injuries are unlucky sometimes. Of course he's going to go back to the drawing board and say 'what could I have done better?. What do I need to change for the future so I'm not going to be injured at the biggest tournaments that matter the most'.
"I've also been injured and when you start to go past 600 matches in your career there will be slight problems here and there. It's almost inevitable that you're going to have some injuries. But it's also important to prevent a lot, that's why I stretch a lot, I massage a lot and even wear taping (around my ankles).
"He does all the same but maybe he should have done something a little bit different. But only he knows as he's in charge of his schedule. But it's sad for the game and it's sad for him."
REUTERS: Does the men's ATP Tour need to address this issue and reduce the load and demands on the players?
FEDERER: "We've had so much debate about how much should we play, are we not playing too much, are we not being chased around all over the world? I don't buy into this because I always think the player is in charge of his own schedule. So it's only the player to blame. Sometimes you get unlucky like he did right now."
REUTERS: When you burst on to the international stage by beating Pete Sampras in the fourth round here in 2001, and if someone told you seven or eight years down the line you would have contested 20 consecutive grand slam semi-finals, 15 out of the last 16 grand slam finals and had 14 major trophies in your possession, what would you have said?
FEDERER: "No way! I would have said no chance. I remember watching an (old) interview from Rotterdam a few days ago. I was surfing the net and it was a video from even before I beat Sampras. I was asked 'what is your dream?' and I said well maybe I would love to win Wimbledon or the U.S. Open down the road. That was my honest dream. That was a big dream to have and hopefully be number one in the world.
"I knew it was possible to win a Wimbledon, win a U.S. Open or become number one in the world. But I didn't believe it was possible for me to dominate the game the way I did. This is what caught everybody a little bit by surprise and obviously me the most."
REUTERS: Where do you keep all your trophies?
FEDERER: "I have a trophy room at home. Only one trophy room but it's very nice and I'm very proud of it."
REUTERS: Did walking through the All England Club gates feel any different this year considering it's the first time in six years you've arrived here not as the defending champion?
FEDERER: "Actually not. I guess Paris helps. Knowing that I'm on a high and not thinking of anything negative. No negativities in my mind. Everybody is happy for me.
"I don't think I've lost my edge here at Wimbledon at all because I'm so proud that I contested with Rafa such an unbelievable match here last year. That's the way I felt two days after I lost last year. Right away I knew this was going to be a classic and an epic and I was honoured to be part of it. So I felt great walking in right away and the transition to grass has been pretty easy and I'm happy."
