Federer inspired by Hewitt; Says his motivation is at the top

The 31-year-old Federer, who grew up in tennis with Hewitt, 32, told Swiss media that his motivation remains as strong as it always was, with his confidence high despite his lowest ranking in a decade.

“Lleyton Hewitt is a good example for me,” he told Zurich’s NZZ am Sonntag. “The ranking could be 170th, 20th or 5th - it’s fun just to play.”

Hewitt, ranked 64th, has been denying the years in recent seasons after his comeback from multiple foot surgeries. The Australian has reached the semi-finals in Atlanta after playing a grass final in Newport.

Federer added: “My motivation is at the top. If I got to the point where I’d had enough of the travel and training then I would ask serious questions. But that’s not the case now.

“There comes a time when the ranking is not so important. Quite honestly, I don’t even know exactly what my current ranking. 4th? 5th? 3rd? It doesn’t matter to me so much.

“After Wimbledon, I was burning to play.”

The Swiss who looks consistently at the big picture in his career, said that he has dealt with doubts and harsh critiques before: “I have no problem with criticism, but I expect us to be honest,” he told NZZ.

“This situation is not new for me. In 2009 and 2010 already, people said: ‘He’s won everything, now it’s finished.’ The more people that comment, the more likely that someone will be talking nonsense.”

Date: 30th July 2013, Source: AFP