Roger Federer is back at Indian Wells as the defending champion, the world No. 1, and a 20-time Grand Slam winner.
After two decades of competing as a professional and breaking almost every conceivable tennis record with a style of play that is more art than sport, you’d think Federer has nothing left to prove, right?
Wrong!
The Swiss legend admits there is always a certain level of pressure when he’s competing, and it’s that feeling that drives him to continue playing at the age of 36.
“You always have something to prove. As much as I’d like to tell you like ‘it doesn’t matter how I play here’, I didn’t come here to lose first round 2 and 2. When you have break point you’re not going to tell yourself ‘who cares, I’m just going to go for it’, it’s hard to think this way,” Federer told reporters at Indian Wells on Thursday.
“Because you do care about the moments, you do care about the fans, what they think, how they portray you and you care for the result, you care for so many things.
“As little pressure there seems to be, there is always on the top guys, you’re always the centre of attention and expectations are there. I’m definitely in a good place. I also feel I have less to prove today than in the past but that doesn’t mean I don’t want it badly. And I need to have that drive to be successful.”
Federer is the No. 1 seed at Indian Wells for the first time since 2010. He regained the top ranking three weeks ago after winning the title in Rotterdam, getting back to the summit for the first time since November 2012.
“It feels very different,” Federer joked about how he felt now that the No. 1 ranking is back next to his name. “No, the same.
“Just the feeling of getting back to world No. 1 is deeply gratifying because today when you’re older you know how much work you’ve put into it.
“Whereas, let’s say in 2004 when I finally got to world No. 1 it was such a relief because I had blew my chance earlier in Montreal months earlier I lost 6-7 in the third against Roddick, I thought like ‘oh man hopefully I’ll still get to world No. 1 one day’. And then when I finally got it I just felt like I probably deserved it, won a lot, played a lot and won the World Tour Finals at the end of the year in Houston.
“And it just kind of happens. Usually it’s connected a Slam as well, so this one was different because I went to chase it in Rotterdam. It was all about world No. 1 when I went to Rotterdam and I think by winning it there and then going back home and celebrating at home, keeping celebrations going and knowing what I had to do to get to world No. 1 so it felt very different yes, but waking up in the morning I feel the same like world No. 2 or world No. 17 like a few years back.”
Five-time Indian Wells champion Federer begins his title defence against either Ryan Harrison or Federico Delbonis on Saturday.
He will have to reach at least the semi-finals in order to hold onto the No. 1 ranking after Indian Wells. Otherwise, the injured Rafael Nadal will replace him at the top following this tournament.
