There are photos and quotes galore from Friday’s World Tour Finals Media Day. If you’re looking to replace your passport photo with one of a jet-setting ATP player, here’s your chance!
Or maybe you just want one for your wallet:
At this time of the season, the top players all have their eyes on the finish line. But what they’re looking at varies from player to player. Roger Federer’s gaze is transfixed on those blue Barclay’s ribbons. Rafael Nadal is keeping things in perspective and Novak Djokovic can’t wait to get on the court – at the Belgrade Arena.
But let’s start with a joke. Here’s Roger Federer on yesterday’s visit with the Prime Minister at No. 10 Downing Street:
“Mr. Cameron was very excited to have us there it seemed. He was giving more tips to Murray than to me. Nothing I could use for my game quite yet.”
Roger’s tip: win tournaments first, and the No. 1 ranking will follow. Via The AFP:
“Sure it is challenging (to get back to number one). It is going to be very difficult because Rafa is playing well,” Federer said on Friday.
“It’s not something I have in mind right now. The goal is to play well here in London and prepare for next season and hopefully at some stage get it back.
“If not then I will focus on just winning tournaments. That is something I like doing as well!
“I have Australia to defend first. Rafa has no points to defend here, that’s why things look very good for him for the next few months.”
Rafael Nadal, who has only one indoor title on his long list of tournament victories, says winning the World Tour Finals is a harder task for him than winning more leisurely paced outdoor tournaments like Wimbledon and Roland Garros. Rafa via the ATP:
“For me personally it is more difficult to win four matches against the Top 8 players indoors than to win seven matches in a Grand Slam on another surface.”
But don’t worry, Rafa’s always looking on the bright side:
“I wasn’t playing well here last year, but I practised a lot and every day I woke up with the allusion to improve the situation and that’s what I did and finally the situation changed. To win three Grand Slams was something impossible to imagine for me, but it happened and I will just keep working hard to keep having chances to win tournaments.”
Novak Djokovic is focused on one bright, shining opportunity. And it’s not the World Tour Finals:
“Honestly my biggest goal is to win the Davis Cup,” Djokovic said via the AP. “I have had opportunities to be part of this event before and hopefully in the future I will be a part of it again, but the Davis Cup final at home, maybe it’s only one time.
“Who knows if we’re going to have this opportunity again? That’s why I’m very excited about it emotionally and very motivated. But I still need to try to do my best here and then think about Belgrade.”
Who says Davis Cup means diddly to the top players?
Andy Murray continues to talk about self-discovery as the rest of us wonder when he’s going to find a dang coach:
“It’s been a good year. It’s been a bit inconsistent. Definitely the last few months I feel like I’ve improved a lot, I’ve improved many different parts of my game.
“I feel like I’m starting to learn new things again, which is nice. I’m hoping to improve more before the beginning of next year.”
Some more photos from Friday afternoon in London, including some fun Fedal snaps. Like this one:
Love all the Corona in the background:
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