Federer Was Sincere And Genuine When He Related To People Says Former Coach
ATP
Legendary tennis coach Jose Higueras has praised Roger Federer's outspoken personality during a short stint while working with him.
Higueras is a retired Spanish tennis player who won 16 top-level titles in a career that lasted over a decade. He achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 6 in 1983, and his best Grand Slam results came at the French Open, where he made the semifinal on two occasions.
After hanging up his racket in 1986, Higueras became a highly successful tennis coach. He is credited for guiding Michael Chang to win the 1989 Roland Garros and also helped Jim Courier become World No. 1 in singles in 1992.
The Spaniard has also coached some prominent names in the tennis world, including Pete Sampras, Carlos Moya, and Sergi Bruguera. One of his coaching gigs that is often neglected is while working with 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.
It was during Federer's tumultuous 2008 campaign when he was dethroned as the world's top-ranked player by Rafael Nadal. His partnership with the Swiss began mid-season that year and ended shortly after Federer won his lone Grand Slam of 2008 at the US Open.
However, the pair remain on good terms. Higueras, who served as director of elite coaching development for the USTA after leaving Federer's camp in 2008, had nothing but nice words to say about his former pupil. Now 70, Higueras told the Inside-In podcast that the Swiss loved tennis to a tee.
"Well the one thing I learned when I worked with a player of that caliber is that they know a lot, they may actually know more than me. So, I gotta be pretty careful with what I say. But a couple of things that struck me with Roger is really his honest love for the sport; he loves to play tennis."
Additionally, Higueras was in awe of Federer's outgoing personality even when he was off the cameras. He claimed that the way in which he bonded with people was true and sincere.
"And probably the most important part is how well he carries himself. How sincere and genuine he is when he relates to people. And I've seen that firsthand with him dealing with people when there were no cameras, when there was nobody watching."
