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Page 1: “Hothead” Federer Learns to Control Temper article... · “Hothead” Federer Learns to Control Temper Throughout his youth, ... like I’m climbing uphill all the time, and

Federer Anger Outburst. From: http://sportige.com/

“Hothead” Federer Learns to Control Temper

Throughout his youth, Rodger Federer struggled to

control his temper; a problem that shadowed his games

for many years. On court he would often erupt in bursts of

anger (smashing his racket against the court or launching

it into the fence) after poor shots. Parents, Robert and

Lynette, struggled to understand the transformation of

their son during a game. Bottling his rage after games

irritated Federer; however he was never rude to umpires,

lines men or the opposing player.

At the age of 10, Federer met a man who would change

his game completely, his name was Peter Carter. Over

the next four years, Carter came to spend more time with

Federer than his own parents, not only improving his

technique and game plan but also advising him in the

mental side of the game. Psychology played a major role

in Federer becoming a polite player who had control over

his dominating emotions. Over time, Carter was able to

demonstrate to Federer the consequences of his

outbursts and the amount of energy he wasted through

these actions.

Swedish man, Peter Lundgren, joined Federer’s support team in 1997, to help Carter drill in his methods of

controlling Federer’s temper outbursts. 2002 was the year that Federer finally made it into the Top 10

however he was still struggling. Thought to be lacking mental toughness, after losing games by 4 to 5 sets,

Federer would often return to the locker room in tears. Crying wasn’t the only way Federer dealt with his anger.

After losing a first round match in Toronto, Federer turned to the more social aspect of the tournament –

partying at night instead of focusing on his double matches.

Unbeknown to Federer, during one of his nights out an event would happen, changing him into the player he is

today. His coach tried calling him numerous times on his mobile but Federer ignored his calls. When he did

finally get through, the news wasn’t good… Peter Carter was dead. His vehicle had veered off the road on a

South African safari and fallen into a ravine, killing him and the driver instantly. Federer returned to

Page 2: “Hothead” Federer Learns to Control Temper article... · “Hothead” Federer Learns to Control Temper Throughout his youth, ... like I’m climbing uphill all the time, and

Switzerland to help organise Carter’s funeral arrangement and honour his dearest friend. Carter’s body arrived

in Switzerland on Federer’s 21st birthday.

Carter’s passing had a huge impact on Federer, forcing him to focus on his life, his game and his relationships.

In his youth, Federer ignored a majority of Carter’s lessons about being a good player and a good man but

now he wanted to prove more than ever that he was. As with all good things, it took time.

In April 2005 at the Nasdaq-100 Open finals at Key Biscayne, Federer found himself in trouble. Having lost

the first two sets to archrival, Rafael Nadal, the third set wasn’t looking much better. Federer missed a break-

point opportunity. Resulting in an outburst he slammed his racket to the ground. “I was really angry, so I threw

it out,” Federer said later. “I was very disappointed. I was missing one opportunity after the other. I really felt

like I’m climbing uphill all the time, and I had an opportunity and I missed it again, and I just had enough. Who

knows, maybe it did me good, and I kind of woke up.” This has been thought to be the moment where Federer

was no longer a slave to his anger. Using his outburst as a wake-up call Federer then he went on to win the

match.

Today Federer’s reputation is nothing short of the best. A recent poll created by the Reputation Institute,

surveyed over 50,00 people in 25 countries, where they were asked to rate a list of attributes to which they

liked, respected, trusted and admired public figures on a scale from 0 – 100. According to this poll, Federer

ranks in at number 2, just behind the former South Australian president, Nelson Mandela. Federer finished

ahead of big names such as Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Bono and also beat other sporting legends such as

Derek Jeter (no.16), David Beckham (no.24) and Tiger Woods (no.47).

“The results of Reputation Institute’s study confirm that people respect leaders that participate in philanthropic

activities outside of their own celebrity,” said Reputation Institute Chairman, Dr. Charles Fombrun. “The

public’s top two on our list, Mandela and Federer, have emotional ties to South Africa, and donate both time

and money to the betterment of the region and its people. They get praise for their efforts.”

Even with the time and effort required to win 16 grand slam titles, Federer has been actively involved in charity causes

such as Rally For Relief to support the Queensland flood victims and also through his very own foundation (Rodger

Federer Foundation) helping with education and sporting projections in South Africa, Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania,

Zimbabwe and Switzerland. As well as being involved in these admirable philanthropic activities, Federer has

learnt to control his emotions on court and has developed a reputation as a polite, respectful player among his

peers and the rest of the tennis viewing world.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2011/09/Features/Federer-Mandela-Most-Respected.aspx

http://thomaszweifel.blogspot.com/2010/06/roger-federer-and-anger-management.html

Page 3: “Hothead” Federer Learns to Control Temper article... · “Hothead” Federer Learns to Control Temper Throughout his youth, ... like I’m climbing uphill all the time, and

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1270865,00.html