Without Severin Luthi, Roger Federer wouldn't have been the player he is today: Boris Becker

Roger Federer is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of tennis, if not the greatest. The Swiss maestro has a plethora of stellar achievements to his name, like a record 20 Grand Slam titles and an unparalleled 310 weeks as World No. 1.

But while Federer was blessed with raw talent, he didn't reach the pinnacle of the sport all on his own. Several coaches over the years have helped fine-tune Roger Federer's game, which has enabled the 39-year-old to remain relevant and competitive even at his age.

During an interaction with Top Level Tennis, German legend Boris Becker used Roger Federer's and his own example to drive home the importance of a good coach for a tennis player.

"He's never won a Grand Slam, maybe he needs a coach" - @TheBorisBecker about @NickKyrgios' reluctance to have a coach. 🤔🤭🔥 Get Silver or Gold Access and watch 10 episodes of Boris Becker's online course! ➡ https://t.co/vqDl2oxl0M pic.twitter.com/JBVR88LsBs

— Top Level Tennis (@topleveltennis) August 19, 2020

"I want to talk about the role of a coach for a tennis player. I think it's a little bit underestimated. Me, for one, I have benefited from all the great coaches that I have had. I've learnt a lot more with them than without them," Becker said.

Roger Federer has worked with the same coach from the beginning: Boris Becker

Roger Federer (left) with Severin Luthi during a practice session

Becker went on to highlight the importance of consistency in a player's coaching arrangements. Federer has kept the company of Luthi despite getting others on board over the years, and the German believes that has helped him stay true to his style.

"Roger Federer has worked with the same coach, Severin Luthi, from the beginning. Yes, he has Ljubicic, and he has (had) Edberg, but his first coach is the same guy," Becker said.

Talking about Roger Federer's coaches, Peter Carter is one of the first names that comes to mind. The late Australian helped Federer imbibe the importance of hard work in his early years, as well as the discipline needed to be successful in the sport.

Speaking in an interview with CNN, Roger Federer had acknowledged as much when talking about the contribution of Peter Carter in his tennis career.

"It's a really nice story. He came to play club tennis for my club in Basel, Old Boys Tennis Club. When I was little he was one of the star players on the team. I was able to have coaching lessons with him. Peter was a really important person in my life. If I can say thank you for my technique today it's to Peter."

Roger Federer's inspirational former coach died in a car crash on his honeymoon in 2002.Nearly two decades on, Federer still gets emotional when he talks about Peter Carter.Our exclusive interview: https://t.co/AJM6UXgt6H pic.twitter.com/g9aiylaKy8

— CNN Sport (@cnnsport) January 7, 2019

When asked how his late coach would have felt about him winning 20 Grand Slam titles and several other accolades, Roger Federer got overcome with emotion and broke down. The Swiss player then said that Carter would have been immensely proud.

"Sorry. Oh, man, I still miss him so much. I hope he would be proud. I guess it was somewhat of a wake-up call for me when he passed away, and I really started to train hard."

When Peter Carter was killed in a car accident in 2002, Severin Luthi took over the reins of the Swiss Davis Cup team. Five years later, Luthi arrived in Roger Federer's coaching team and he has stayed there since, with Federer winning more than 10 Grand Slam titles in the company of his compatriot.

Boris Becker said that Luthi has played a significant role in Roger Federer's career, which is something that the Swiss himself has acknowledged on numerous occasions in the past.

"And Roger is the first one to say: 'Without Severin Luthi, I wouldn't be the same player I am.' This is Roger Federer - the greatest of all time," the former coach of Novak Djokovic said.