Cambers offers tremendous insight into the people that desperately tried to figure out how beat Federer on the tennis court, and the appreciation those individuals & their camps had. Before Novak Djokovic was a 21-time major champion, he was a young player fighting to get to the Swiss Maestro’s level.
“Early on in the battles, Novak was struggling to figure out how Roger could play the way he played without seemingly looking like he was trying,” Cambers recounted. “And Marijan just(Vajda) calmed his mind I think. He made him realize that he couldn’t do what Federer does. So don’t even try to think about that, just focus on your game.”
The same appreciation for Federer’s unique brilliance was held by all members of Rafael Nadal’s team, specifically his Uncle Toni who saw it up close many times.
“Toni loved the way Federer hit the ball,” the journalist explained. “He liked Federer’s aesthetically pleasing game. And he talks about the rivalry with Rafa as for him, being one of the greatest in sports. Not just in tennis.”