"Nobody will ever play tennis like Roger" - Mouratoglou on Federer's legacy
ATP
Patrick Mouratoglou thinks that no one will be able to match Roger Federer when it comes to the Swiss Maestro's playing ability.
Tennis fans will no longer get a chance to see Federer on the tennis courts in 2023. The 20-time Grand Slam champion will end his career at the 2022 Laver Cup, marking the end of a legendary tennis career that lasted over two decades.
Federer inspired millions of tennis players around the world, and many of those competing on the ATP Tour today started because of him.
Mouratoglou, who is one of the best coaches in the world, also recognized Federer's abilities in the most recent episode of his Eye of the Coach series for Tennis Majors.
"I think Roger is the best ambassador for the game, because he plays tennis the way everybody would love to play tennis. Nobody has ever played tennis like Roger, and nobody will ever play tennis like Roger – it’s impossible because it is just too perfect to be matched."
"He is the absolute perfection in everything he is doing – the way he moves, the way he hits the ball, because he was giving the feeling all the time that he was hitting the ball with absolutely zero effort. Everything is fluid, easy."
Although fighting spirit is something that has always been associated with Rafael Nadal, Mouratoglou said that it's an often overlooked quality when it comes to Federer.
At the same time, the French player admires the way that the former ATP World No. 1 was able to play the sport.
"I always said his biggest quality is that he’s a fighter, but it doesn’t look like it because it looks easy. And the second [quality] is the work because he is an incredibly hard worker."
"Having this gift and this fluidity, he made it become more than a talent, he made it an art. When Roger came to the game, he could do anything, but he didn’t have a real identity."
