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‘Tough to See That Kind of Grief’- Heart-Breaking Detail About Roger Federer’s Transforming Moment Revealed by Veteran Swiss Tennis Player

Published 03/01/2023, 11:03 AM EST

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Roger Federer is a person who was born to be a star. With a healthy family and loving parents, Federer made a way for himself in the world of tennis. Obviously, the number of hurdles and injury issues during his career gave his fans a scare, but he did well. And so it seemed. Till the moment, he lost someone very close to him. And then this loss was way too heavy for him to carry like a gentleman and act like everything was going to be alright.

At that moment, he left all his inhibitions and mannerisms aside and gave in to his emotions. A moment that filled Roger’s life with immense grief.

Roger Federer was in pain after a significant loss in his life

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We see players on the court, giving their best. Usually unnoticed, or not getting much attention are the people who are mostly behind the scenes. And coaches are one of them.

And it was the loss of his beloved coach in 2002 that broke Roger Federer. Peter Carter, a former Australian player was his coach at the point when Federer was known for his aggressive personality on the court. It was Carter, Federer’s parents, and Federer’s wife Mirka Federer, who helped the Swiss player evolve a new approach towards the sport. So. losing him was painful for him.

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In his biography, ‘The Master’, the author Christopher Clarey mentions the ordeal of Federer coming to terms with the reality of Carter’s death. He reiterated Federer’s doubles partner, Yves Allegro’s words.

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He said, “Roger was completely destroyed. You could see in his body language, and he could not stop crying. I think he cried for the whole funeral, an hour and a half straight. It was tough to see that kind of grief.”

However, he also saw a silver lining in this situation. He stated, “But I really think Roger became a man at the moment of Peter’s death. That’s basically the first time he really had to face something tough or horrible.”

Nonetheless, he mentioned Federer’s issues with his sister. Allegro stated, “Sure, he and his sister had some fights because he had money she didn’t have or whatever.” But a major obstacle was missing from his life and to that Allegro said, “And then he lost one of the most important people in his life.”

Roger Federer started training with Carter when he was just a 9-year-old boy and was with him till his demise in 2002. So, losing someone who has been with him throughout most of his life surely was bound to create a significant impact on the tennis legend’s psyche.

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Federer attributes his good technique to Peter Carter

The Swiss Maestro has never shied away from expressing his admiration for the late coach. He still feels that it was Carter that influenced his career in the right direction.

In his biography, ‘The Master’, the author states that Federer credits Carter for his success the most. And not just for his sport but for helping him to become a better human being.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer.

Do you know Federer had not won even a single Grand Slam title till the moment Carter was alive? He thinks his death was a wake-up call for him to not waste his talents.

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Written by:

Shivali Sharma

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Shivali Sharma is a tennis author at EssentiallySports. She has pursued her Master's in history from Himachal University, but her love for the game has driven her to write about tennis. Shivali is a huge fan of Naomi Osaka and admires Osaka not only for her on-court performances, but also for her off-court actions.
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Edited by:

Arijit Saha