"You are alone... It's your fault if you lose" - Roger Federer shares valuable 'coaching' advice for next-gen stars ahead of Laver Cup 2024

Roger Federer recently shared valuable coaching advice for the next generation of tennis stars ahead of the 2024 Laver Cup. This year, the tournament is being held at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, from September 20 to September 22, 2024.

This marks the seventh edition of the Laver Cup, with the inaugural event taking place in 2017. Team Europe has won the title in the first four editions, while Team World claimed the last two titles.

For this year's competition, Team World is led by captain John McEnroe and vice-captain Patrick McEnroe. The team includes players such as Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Alejandro Tabilo, Thanasi Kokkinakis, and Francisco Cerúndolo.

Meanwhile, Team Europe is captained by Bjorn Borg, with Thomas Enqvist serving as vice-captain. The team features Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Flavio Cobolli, and Jan-Lennard Struff.

Roger Federer, who has won the Laver Cup three times, is currently in Berlin to attend this year's tournament. During a recent press conference, he was asked to share advice for young players.

In response, Federer talked about the importance of players recognizing that they are 50% their own coach. He stressed that it is important for the players to listen to themselves amid the guidance from various coaches, trainers, and support staff.

“My biggest advice I could give to the juniors is that you have to remember that you are 50% the coach as well. I mean yes, you’re going to have your people, you know, your parents, your coach, your fitness coach etcetera. They're all gonna tell you what to do but at some point you’re going to be alone in court, then you have to remember deep down what you think is right,” he said.

Federer highlighted the importance of players trusting their instincts and taking responsibility for their performance, whether it results in a win or a loss.

“Only you know maybe that your knee is hurting or that your mind is travelling or that your forehands are not working. You gotta be able to figure out yourself and nobody can fix it for you at that moment. So I think that’s maybe something I did well when I was young, I didn’t always just listen or believe everything my coach said, nothing against them,” he added.

Roger Federer shared that during his career, he relied on his own judgment as he understood his game better than anyone else. He also encouraged junior players to trust themselves and not shift blame onto others .

“It was just that I knew that I also needed to take responsibility and I think that’s probably the biggest advice I can give because it’s your fault if you win, it's your fault if you lose, which is a great thing. I think that’s where the juniors sometimes like to blame someone or something and I always thought "no don't blame anything",” the Swiss said.

Roger Federer: "Tennis was my identity, but I always tried to not identify myself just purely as a tennis player"

Roger Federer [Source: Getty]

Earlier this year, during an interview with GQ, Roger Federer expressed that although tennis was a significant part of his life and identity, he never solely identified as a tennis player. He stated that outside of the sport, he was also a son, husband, and father.

"Tennis was my identity, but it was not what I was doing all day every day. I mean, for the most part, I’m being more of a dad and a husband and a son. Being a tennis player was my hobby, and then that became my job. But I always tried to not identify myself just purely as a tennis player," he said.

The former World No.1 pointed out that it is important to have a multifaceted identity beyond just being a tennis player, as it helped him maintain a strong mindset throughout his career.

"When tennis was taken away or put aside, well, I still had all the other things. And I think that mindset has anyway been a strength of mine throughout my career," he added.

Roger Federer bid farewell to his professional tennis career at the 2022 Laver Cup, where he competed in a doubles match alongside Rafael Nadal.