Federer's ex-coach - Young Roger was talented but lazy
With Peter Lundgren as coach, Roger Federer got his first Wimbledon victory in 2003. The collaboration was not always easy, the Swede recalls.
by tennisnet.com
last edit:
May 21, 2020, 10:18 am
Peter Lundgren's last active appearance as a professional tennis player was half an eternity ago, but has a strong connection to Austria: In 1996, the Swede, who at least scored 25th in the ATP world rankings as a career high, struck alongside St. Pölten in St. Pölten Marcelo Rios in double. Not entirely by accident: At that point, Lundgren coached the extroverted Chileans before heading to Switzerland to look after the young Roger Federer from 2000 to 2003.
And even if the collaboration resulted in Federer's first Wimbledon victory in 2003, not everything was easy. "It is never easy to work with a tennis player," Lundgren, who was later to coach Marat Safin to be successful at the 2005 Australian Open, told Tenis Brasil. "At that time Roger was a very talented young man, maybe a bit lazy, he had some concentration problems and was not yet physically ready."
Federer always wanted to be the best
Especially since the pressure on Roger Federer was enormous at a young age. "For Roger, this title was what everyone expected him to do," said Lundgren of his ex-boy's first success on Church Road. The Swedish coach himself had at least reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon - an excellent achievement, above all, due to the fact that the external circumstances during Lundgren's active time had greatly disadvantaged baseline players like him.
However, Peter Lundgren did not bring Federer's drive and playful talent to the tennis court. “He always wanted to be the best. The truth is that he was a person who was difficult to work with, but he has a big heart and is a good guy. ”