AMEN TO THAT MAC!

Patrick Mc Enroe is right, Roger needs a coach. On the other side, the truth is, that by slowing down the surfaces, the ATP has given the baseliners a clear advantage over the more attacking and more creative players. It is a pity for the sport, which now lacks in diversity.

Wow! Wouldn't it that be something! Federer with a COACH! That is "exactly" what he needs, but is Roger's ego able to deal with that "fact"?! How many more times must he loose to Nadal before bowing to the inevitable! COME ON ROGER (with all do respect! I know you don't like other people to tell you what to do, but go out there and get yourself a coach anyways! LOL What could be worse?! You're already loosing to Nadal... Come On! No man is an island unto himself (even if you believed it for awhile...) All good things must come to an end (unless you "make" changes!). The coach idea is most likely your best bet. Grow up! Smell the roses! and Go out there and win some more BIG ones (against Nadal EVEN!). I'm sure you can do it, but... What are you going to do Roger?! Your fans wait for your call. I'd love to see you BEAT Nadal, and BEAT him good! Go ROGER GO! Of course it's not going to be EASY! but once a champ always a champ... If anybody can do it, it is YOU! So go out there and DO IT! and Thanks.

this is true but the arrogant federer will never get a coach because he thinks that he is all of that and a bag of chips! federer will not lower his pride to that level.i will be shocked if he does. anyway since pat love him so much i know that he his pleading and begging him to hire him. by the way, Pat's commentating the match was so unprofessional until it made me sick. Pat wanted federer to win so and had already given the match to federer so until i think Pat almost wanted to cry win fed lost. Pat concentrate on your Davis cup problems with that sorry James Blake and just pray for federer because federer thinks that he is above someone telling him what to do.

hello
thanks for that i think Roger needs a coach but at the moment he needs respect for all what he had done, it is vey much like after the FO when they said he would be finished then he made it to the final of wimbledon without dropping a set,so people: Federer has alot to offer to the sport of tennis,and as a sport lover we all should wish that to happen istead of unforced errors stealer non winners maker who all the sudden being compared to sampras and all the legends!
wake up people tennis is a beautiful game that should be adressed by an athlete who makes a match seems like a great painting under process,not by a sweat machine with huge biceps!

" arrogant federer will never get a coach "
alik , 2/8/09 2:21 PM

Why do u think he is arrogant.He is a calm n composed player.An arrogant man always shows aggression where as Roger lacks this badly in out of court.Do u have a problem with him , solve with him personally , u don't have the right to call him(RF) arrogant or any other player insulting language at public or fans blog. So if cannot control your feelings please do not comment on him.He is much much respectable than any other player all around the worFederer knows his limits very well & u need not to tell him that what he thinks

......... (pray for federer because federer thinks that he is above someone ).............

He (RF) needs a coach or not , he is capable enough to decide.He neither need yours (alik , 2/8/09 2:21 PM ) nor (Patrick McEnroe ) advice .So please if u cannot write humble words for him do not post harsh comments.

Not sure how a coach would help Federer at this stage, he already has all the game he needs, and he probably knows better than anyone what he needs to improve. Though he may need some help with releasing this pressure about the GS record. I guess he has to figure out how not to let it affect his focus on the game at hand too much. Staying away from other distractions could also help (e.g. no need to talk about other players at press events.)

"wake up people tennis is a beautiful game that should be adressed by an athlete who makes a match seems like a great painting under process,not by a sweat machine with huge biceps!"
sour grapes and an issue of taste.
I don't see Brazilian football fans across the wrold moaning and crying because their team was beaten by a boring one thus eliminated from winning the World Cup.
Accept the fact that Nadal is a better tennis player.
Federer may be stubborn, he may /or may not need a coach, it all is irrelevant when he plays Nadal, he's been losing to him continually, people, it's not a fluke, it's a rule!
I am actually really glad Nadal's ended his dominance, and with Novak and Murray (of the consistent ones)around (as well as Tsonga, Simon etc of the on-off ones) , tennis has never been more exciting and colourful , something for every TRUE fan.
But no, Federer fans are so OBSTINATE (just like the guy they support), they can't bear that someone else is better than him, that loads of guys now beat him regularly, that the world does not owe him a lilving, and that Slams actually need to be earnt these days, not handed over by the choking brigade of Roddick etc.....

tennislover, has anyone told you that tennis is about different styles. i'm sorry to burst your bubble, but everybody wasn't meant to play like federer. that would be boring! that's why we watch the game! face it! "the sweat machine with huge biceps" as you call nadal has brought the game to another level. ,noleisthebest, i couldn't agree more, most of federer's fans wear blinders! they can't face the fact that federer's problem is in his head, not in the hands, when it comes to nadal. i don't think a coach can fix that!

LOL! noleisthebest! you are funny. You think that because Nadal has beaten Federer many times that Nadal is BETTER than Federer! Nadal is Nadal World #1 and deservidly so (at the moment), but tennis is tennis, it's just a game. Federer can still beat Nadal, and the others, if he can learn how to balance his emotions during the game. He has done it before obviously having won as much as he has. Just because he is capable of crying does not mean that his winning Over Nadal and the others is over... Maybe he can do without a coach (whatever), maybe meditation is the answer for him, but whatever it's going to take, it (he) will have to make changes to win his next GS... I think we can all agree on that (can't we?!) LOL Personally I enjoy tennis a lot more when Federer is a contender. There is nothing wrong with that. We all have our favourites (don't we). I don't believe that any of Federer's GS have been handed over to him. Do you actually believe that because Nadal has won a few that his winning mean more?! To win a Grand Slam you have to earn it! I don't think any of us require rocket scientist intelligence to realize that. It's not over till it's over! Bring it ON Roger! YOU CAN DO IT! Come back Roger! Come back! LOL I enjoyed the warrior concept I read recently in an article written by Pete Bodo. Something about Federer not needing to be like a King any longer, but more like a warrior! I like that concept a lot! In Federer's case I believe mostly the losses have been psychological, not so much having to do with skill. We all know he has the ammunition (still)... We Federer fans believe it can be done. Make it so Roger. We are family! Cheers.

Hey Sky,

I belong to roger's family & we can agree on that, he can do it (GS win) again!

He is the greatest ever .

"We Federer fans believe it can be done. Make it so Roger. We are family! "

Wow!
This is worse than I thought.
I rest my case.
I suppose you'd quite enjoy Shakespear's sonnet number 147.

Yes! noleisnotthebest!
WE are Federer FANS! AND THATS WHO WE SUPPORT, and we believe he will succeed again!
FEDERER FAN!!

I now dear, I know.....

he suffers from a "magnum ego" syndrome .. stubborness is just a consequence ...

I love the warrior concept. Roger is a tennis fan just like the rest of us, and you never know, maybe Bobo's comments will ring true to him. He doesn't need that down-and-dirty-style since his game is so sublime and ethereal, but his attacking style works for him. He will go above and beyond in the slams, slow or fast surface, despite, and in spite of, the haters. It's just another puzzle, and he will solve it.

'I am actually really glad Nadal's ended his dominance, and with Novak and Murray (of the consistent ones)around ......'another fine comment from the tennis expert of the decade, noleisthebest....or should that be noletalksapileofcrap? Yeah. Course djokovic is so so good, he chokes whenever he comes close to reaching a semi. Ha! He burned when he played Roddick. He couldn't stand the heat. Nadal is the man of the moment. Let's see if he can stay number one for 237 weeks though, eh? No mean feat when you have the likes of murray, tsonga, verdasco who is now in the mix. Federer does need a coach. Or if he doesn't need a coach, he needs a sport psychologist who can get inside his head and unravel the nadal phobe he has created. I don't think that Fed is arrogant, just passionate about tennis. But I agree that something needs to be done - whether that is a change in his game...he did start to chip and charge a lot more, also a great volleyer, but something just stops him from playing the free game he used to play when up against nadal. Just needs someone to analyse nadal's game for him so he can go into the next match with a game plan and whip nadal's ass! noleisthebest, I think you kind of need to show a bit more respect to the fed, man you are very critical and show little respect. Look at the stats and recognise that you are dealing with a genius. Nadal is the best of the moment, federer is the best tennis player though, in terms of style, class. Just read the articles out there by the experts. I don't class you as one. Always good to hear what you gotta say, but keep it real.

FEDERER .... best tennis player?
HAve you ever seen Sampras, Agassi, Borg, etc.... CRY like a baby after losing a match at any point of their career?
Champions can handle victory and more importantly DEFEAT head up high because they know they did their best and there's always only ONE winner at the end of the tournament.
What more can a coach teach a master of the game?
Maybe he'll win over Rafa IF HE LEARNS to ACCEPT THAT he's #2. IT's still there in his head that he's above all the players. It's a bitter pill to swallow but it can surely cure his swollen ego.
He was unbeatable when Rafa was not in the picture yet. Nadal opened the door to everyone for them to believe that FEd's invincibility was JUST in their minds. Murray certainly learned the lesson and produced the results, beating FED consecutively!

Rafterfan: "He will go above and beyond in the slams, slow or fast surface... (Just like poetry...) I love it! Agree "Federer will solve the problem". Not sure what noleisthebest is fretting about. How can people enjoying tennis "be something worse"? (hm) Take good care everybody. Hope Roger does well in Dubai

Yeah man the Fed has learnt some hard lessons along the way. And if you read the articles by the TENNIS EXPERTS agf25agf, then this is what they are saying. And yes. I am a fed fan, also a nadal fan. Two great champions who respect each and admire each other's game. Read Roger's latest article on nadal. And hey. We ALL cry. Do you think the moment was scripted? I don't think so. A pure show of emotion showing how much it meant to him, the game and the fans. You just want to spoil all of that. So what if he cried. It's kind of getting boring referring to that now so just accept it. He cried. What pent up emotion, the event, the pressure, the stress of a potential 14th slam. Yeah. He choked in the fifth. So what? He will come back from this, simply because he HAS to. Not only that, great champions come back from defeats. Roger will and I really do want to see him play his best again, but without the barriers in his mind. The times I have watched him play 'free tennis'. Natural tennis. Whatever you say, the guy was number 1 for 237 weeks, he held that for almost 5 years. 4 years almost 9 months. But past is past. He needs to move on from that. Sports pscyhologist is the answer. I think the whole scenario makes for an exciting year. It must be hard for Fed to accept that he is no longer 'the best' at the moment, but it is certainly a target to aim for. There isn't much wrong with his game. It's all in his head.

Rafa, Roger and Verdasco were outstanding in the AO. Long may it continue. As for the tears, BIG BOYS DO CRY!

Rafterfan, Your comment rings very true to me! So does one made by blueberry and sky, whose ever-growing "family" is optimistic; justly so, i believe. Time alone will tell. Hopefully, it'll prove them right.

Noleistheworst, if you would just stop creating uproar in every Fed-related articles. How is Nadal 'better' than Fed when he won most of his meetings on his favourite surface? If Nadal met Fed on hardcourts or grass during those days where he was only a 'claycourter' he would have got beaten so many times that Fed wouldn't have had a mental block now. Fed is just a victim of his own successes. The guy is the best in every surface and was 2nd best to Nadal all those years and Nadal didn't meet him in hardcourts more often cause he always got beaten in earlier rounds. Now he has a mental edge over Fed so he's milking it. The Aussie final just confirmed me what I knew all this while, Nadal is the best grinder in the world not the best attacking player. You can't fault Fed's fans who like positive tennis. We are positive-thinking people.

'We are positive-thinking people'!!!
I think you're out of your mind, you're luck of home education, cause first of all, Nole is the best for us, he can't be the worst, you idiot, cause he's number 3, and 21 years old, your 'big mouth' is 27, Nadal is 22, so what do you expect, oh no, I really don't want to discuss with you, you're just one more Novak's hater and I don't have intention to talk with you at all, by the way, Noleisthebest, has a right as well as I do, to participate in any articles, cause you're doing the same things as we do, so, stop talking about .....you know what...

I think it should be noleisthePest. Ok he had a good year last year, playing way above himself, but the truth is that he will never amount to more than a PEST or irritant to the trully great ones like Roger Federer. Watching Roger is like seeing an artist at work. Djokovic is like one of these mechanical serving machines that players use for practice - he doesn't seem to have anything to set him above the ordinary. Don't get me wrong, he does the best he can with the limited talents he's got and he is quick and strong, but there's nothing outstanding or 'great' about him, like Roger.

yes gordana, you do have the right to participate in any discussion but don't be so suprised that ur Nole might get negative comments here when you are always trying to put crap comments on Federer.

Simple. Roger is the best tennis player, but not at this moment in time. It's Rafa, followed by Roger. And....it will be Roger again provided he can sort out his mental attitude. I would really like to know what he is doing now. Does anyone know where he is? Next time (have checked the ATP schedule), I think he will be in Dubai, but honestly. God. I hope that the mental attitude tightens up on his part and he goes on to shoot all the Fed haters down in flames! Cos it IS gonna happen. The strength will be coming back after the rest, after the reassessment, after the strategy has been put in place. Wishful thinking? I don't think so. Yeah Gordana and Noleisthebest...are you married to each? What a volatile relationship you must have. You are the female/male version of each other. You both talk crap but it's very amusing. You make me laugh anyhow with acid tongues!

PMac is right - Fed does need a coach - but the question is WHO? There are very few candidates out there that could fit the bill for a player of his caliber. Plus, with the amount of time spent together, they have to be able to get along (so Brad Gilbert is probably out :). And I disagree with ALIK that PMac is jonesin' for the job himself - he has far too lucrutive a deal with ESPN, etc to give up to go galivanting around the globe with just one player, even a player of Roger's stature. Also, I personally don't feel he has the credentials to coach Roger - Davis Cup is a different animal altogether. I adore Darren Cahill and he does have the credentials & probably the desire to coach but there again he'd give up his ESPN spot. Roger would probably have to pay him a pretty penny to give that up. Larry S. is great but taken now by Roddick. The coaching question is an interesting one......

LOL. PMac may be correct, but I'm sure he also wants the job.

Whatever happens Novak is neva gna beat Fed ! First let hime learn to complete a game , wot a pity guy!

agree max. but djokovic still a GOOD player. To be a GREAT player, he's got a long way to go. He is one step ahead in terms of slams, (in front of Murray), but Murray is hungry....and close.....

Mara2 is right - PMac would love that gig! I vote Darrin Cahill for the job. I didn't care for Jose.

mara2, alik, & rafterfan - I just don't see it guys (& girls) and here is my reasoning:
1) PMAC DOESN'T HAVE THE CREDENTIALS. Only has coached US Davis Cup team.
2) ROGER WOULDN'T ASK HIM. For the above reason. Also there is respect b/w the 2 but no warmth.
3) PMAC IS TOO MUCH OF A "RAH RAH" AMERICAN TO COACH A NON-US PLAYER - He the US Davis Cup Captain, GM of USTA Elite Player Development & oversees the US National Coaches & program, as well as the USTA Training Ctrs. He would have to give all this up to coach Roger and HE WOULD NEVER DO IT. I could see him taking on coaching Roddick as much more likely - an American & he wouldn't be forced to give up USTA responsibilities.
4) WOULD HAVE TO RESIGN AS ESPN & CBS TENNIS ANALYST - not happening. As much as he admires and respects Roger, think he enjoys the limelight & the money more.
OK - so now let's see if any of you will step up to the plate and make an attempt to defend your position logically. Bring it on.

Patrick McEnroe has never been in the position to win a major. Nadal outplayed Federer plain and simple. Shut up Patrick, Praise Nadal and give Federer kudos for creating the game's greatest rivalry. The deciding set is all about concentration. Great champions raise their concentration in these moments. Federer may have overpressed. He may have been thinking about the pressure but didn't choke as Patrick said, he played his best. At times he played incredible defense but Nadal was too good. If Federer played with less pressure maybe he would have done better, but he is likely to feel pressure at this stage in his career. Also Federer suffered way more than a champion of his character should, by getting no let when the stupid fan called "out". Also the audience would not be quiet when Federer was trying to speak. I am sure that Federer got immense comfort from Nadal's words than from anybody else. Nadal is a worthy champion who won that match. Let's give Federer some accolades and stop counting him out of the french open!

All this 'tennis is a sublime game and must be played by elegant players" or whatever rhetoric is really annoying. Fed fans need to realize that Nadal is number 1 now and if they keep putting him down with the "biceps and sweaty" comments , they come across as having a severe case of sour grapes. A great champion like Roger deserves fans who can support him without putting down other players. As for supporters of the other players, (Rafa, Nole etc) they need to give Fed his due. The man has been on top for 237 weeks. That takes a lot of doing!!

Lets all enjoy the exciting tennis times we live in.

In a perfect world, that would happen Nam1. But not here on this site. Fed fans want respect for their guy but so do us Rafa fans! But we are told to wait til he has been No 1 for 237+ weeks or wait til he has 13 GS before we dare utter that he is in the same league as fed. Then add in the "biceps and sweaty" talk, Rafa's "ugly tennis", and talk of Rafa possessing no tennis skills, just speed. It gets real old, real quick! Other threads have been nice (after Rafa's MC win) until the Fed fans come in and insist on thrusting Fed into the situation. Praises were made for both Rafa and Novak and talk was of the game and it was great but like all good things, it came to an end. I think alot of Rafa fans on here don't have a problem with Fed, they have a problem with the Fed fans and what they say!

Fed and his fans are very sad. Fed doesn't deserve any respect, he dishes none out himself to other players. Far too arrogant and egoistic for anyone's good. I crave for the moment he retires and his fans to disappear into oblivion so the rest of us can enjoy tennis and have calm and peaceful exchanges.

torres9
"We are positive-thinking people."
Shouldn't it be living-in-the-past people? Stop with the denial people. Your dream is gone and will never come back.

I remember last september , i read a lot of articles ..federer over etc.etc.
He didnt win a single masters often knocked out in the round stages ..
and then he won the US open ..Then began the build up for the 14 th slam..
People stop wastin your time thinkin about the federer faint ....
He is too great a champion to go away so easily...

Ok now, I have to step in and defend Fed (and fans!). Rafa is a deserving champion, but that doesn't mean we Fed fans are going to jump ship and not support Roger. Now, who is living in a dream world? I've said it before - Roger could be 500 in the world, and I will still support him more than anybody. I am a Fed FAN! Rafa fans can and will support Rafa to the end of the earth, and so will Fed fans. The biggest haters are the big Jokes fans, but I see some other haters here. Now, we can all be "all serious" AND we can have some humor, right? Doesn't have to be mean spirited, IMO.

I don't hate Rafa - I admire him. But, to coin a phrase, "I'm just not that into him."

Rafterfan,

It's a chicken and egg thing. I can also say that i did step in to defend rafa from all the haters like torres9.