On the other end of the phone, Marc Rosset’s voice is calm. It’s as if he doesn’t want to take a stand. When asked whether he understood Roger Federer’s decision to withdraw from Roland Garros’ round of 16, he replied with a resounding “yes”.
What if Federer had brought a similar action at Rosset’s tournament in Geneva? Rosset sees it the same way in the role of tournament director. “I’m sure Guy Forget (director of the Paris tournament, editor’s note) is a little disappointed, and that’s normal. But he’s a former player and you can ask any former player. The physical strain that Federer has taken on since the beginning of the tournament is considerable, ”says Rosset. “The general public may not be aware of it and it may seem strange to them – but not to the people who have played at this level.”
Honesty is the key
For Marc Rosset, Roger Federer could easily have ensured that there would have been no controversy. Rosset explains: “He could have woken up on Monday morning and gone to the doctor and said he had a sore shoulder because he served too much on Saturday night. After two manipulations he would have said ‘ouch, ouch, ouch’ and the medical forfait would have been pronounced. The doctor would have had no other choice. “
But the 39-year-old chose a different path. The right one, as Rosset is convinced. “If there is a polemic today, it is only because Roger was honest,” says the Romand. «I really want to emphasize this point. He could have made it look like an injury, but he hasn’t. He always said that the tournaments in Geneva and at the French Open are preparation for the grass season. “
In Roland Garros, Federer at least reached the round of 16, which can be seen as positive. The progress between Geneva and the French Open is pretty impressive. “It wasn’t that great against Andujar in Geneva. But I saw some training sessions with Gaël Monfils at the weekend and his level was much better. “
“I had a shitty career myself”
So instead of speaking of a failure in Paris, the man from Geneva wants observers to put things in perspective. “Yes, it may seem like a flop for Roger Federer after he has won 20 Grand Slams. But there are players who go through an entire career without ever reaching this stage of the tournament. So if reaching the last 16 sucks, there are thousands of players on the tour who sucks. I myself have had a shitty career with my five round of 16 appearances. “
Federer’s performance in Paris reassured Rosset. «We must not forget that he has hardly played in 15 months and has just come back from two knee operations. He is almost 40 years old and loves tennis. He wants to play as long as possible. And at the same time he knows that if he hurts himself again, he will be finished. All of his decisions are made from this point of view. I admire the game he played against Koepfer. It was a real battle that ended at 1am and in the cold. For all these reasons, there is no reason for me to argue. “