Now I know that was the day he found out he was to be the father of twins.
Chris Bowers' biography, (he prefers independent to unauthorised), is full of insights such as this. He has followed Federer's career from the early years, meeting the 16-year-old junior Wimbledon champion, and being impressed by his ''mixture of charm and ambition'', which is still evident.
Federer's parents are obviously responsible for his formative years, and he was always polite and grounded, and a hard worker. It is difficult to believe he was a frequent racquet-thrower, but when he joined the pro tour in 1999, he found himself a psychologist and matured immensely.
Meeting Mirka Vavrinec at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney was also a steadying influence, and she was a big part of his management. Team Federer is virtually leak-proof, (with both the 39-guest wedding and the twins only being found out about by the media after the events). Mirka has been blamed for some decisions, e.g. pulling out of tournaments, but this is just conjecture.
There are quotes from Federer's interviews, but these would often be heat-of-the-moment remarks, or guarded responses to questions regarding poor play. In contrast, Andre Agassi's autobiography Open was just that - a completely open personal commentary on his entire life, documenting every action, thought and feeling.
There were several times in this book where a possible reason was given for a reaction or a decision made by Federer, but they are just guesswork, and I would love to read the Swiss maestro's own take on these situations. He has indicated he is keeping a diary, and will write his biography when his playing career is over.
In the meantime, Bowers has compiled a comprehensive log of Federer's early training, coaches, rise to the top, records broken, illnesses/injuries, rivalries and work off the court, being president of the ATP, and setting up his foundation to benefit disadvantaged children.
There is much made of Federer's interest in the Davis Cup, and he is not accorded celebrity status in Switzerland, but it's ironic that from 2005-08 he was awarded World Sportsman of the Year, but he was the Swiss equivalent for only two of those four years.
Aberrations are increasing. There is often speculation about Federer's state of mind, and in March 2009, in Miami, he broke a racquet, a rarity, but he ''felt good about it''. The book was completed before inexplicable losses early in the last two grand slams.
The book ends with discussion about whether he is the greatest of all time, his motivation and how long his career will last, and what he'll do afterwards, again all supposition, and again, an insight into Federer's own psyche would be much more interesting.
- Rachel Gurney is an avid Dunedin reader and tennis fan.
