‘I eat Pasta before match’- Roger Federer

Roger Federer has a casual attitude on and off the court, and looks like a man without many rules. However, even the greatest of them have certain rules and regulations that they adhere to. Rafael Nadal, as most of us know, has a lot of them, like running in a zigzagged manner before the match begins, or fiddling around with his underwear or positioning his bottles in a perfect alignment.

However, Roger Federer, who looks causal, also has his routines and rituals, as he revealed in an exclusive interview. ‘I also have routines, but not as extreme as many other players’, said Roger Federer. ‘I am fairly laid back, but then I like to be on time – typically Swiss’, he added.

Federer also revealed that he is more concerned with more little yet subtle things, rather than having any special routines.  ‘I just make sure that I have enough shirts in the bag, I have my rackets strung to the right tension, I’ve warmed up properly, and that I have all the drinks I need in case I play five sets. For me it’s just the more obvious things’, said Federer.

The Swiss maestro also revealed that he has been eating the same dish throughout his entire career, before his match begins.

‘I usually eat pasta before the game just so I don’t get an upset stomach and that has worked very well over all these years.

‘Yet, I don’t really have particular things I need to do’, he added.

Federer, after a disappointing loss against Kevin Anderson at the Wimbledon, has withdrawn from the upcoming Rogers Cup, citing fitness issues. He is currently 2000 points farther away from Rafael Nadal, who sits on top of the rankings with 9310 points. US open will be the last slam of the year, and as the players gear up to defend their points, it is yet to be seen if Nadal hangs on to his ranking, and be crowned the year end world-number one.