Roger Federer reveals transitioning from juniors to the pro level was “the most difficult thing” for him because he faced “serious” looks from some of the best players from that period, and that made him feel a bit intimidated.

When Federer arrived on the Tour, he was regarded as one of the most promising and talented players of the game. The Swiss won four titles across the 2001 and 2002 seasons, before a breakthrough 2003 and winning seven titles this year, including a maiden Grand Slam triumph at Wimbledon. 

Federer’s first Grand Slam title came at the age of 21 and that was also the period when he started to regularly clinch wins over the best players of the game. In 2003, the list of players that the Swiss beat included former world No. 1’s and Grand Slam champions Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Federer: One gives you a grim expression, another walks past you without giving a glance…

“The most difficult thing for me was the transition from juniors to the pros. At first it was super cool. Suddenly I was in the locker room with Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Tim Henman, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Carlos Moya and others. And I thought: This is the best! But then everything got so serious. One guy wraps the grip tape around his racket with a grim expression, and you think: ‘Oh God, he’s intense,’” the Swiss tennis icon told Tages-Anzeiger.

“Another walks past you without giving you a glance. And you think: He wants to win at all costs! And yet: Is it really that important? That phase was tough for me. When you travel a lot, lose often, and are as emotionally charged as I was, you think: I didn’t read the fine print in the tennis contract. It’s not all fun and games. This seriousness got to me. The years from 18 to 20 or 21 were hard for me.”

The 2003 season was just the start of Federer’s dominance as the Swiss achieved much more success over the next decade and a half and finished his career with 20 Grand Slams. Also, he spent a total of 310 weeks ranked at the world No. 1 in the world and went down as one of the greatest in tennis history.