Roger Federer and Jim Courier have shared plenty of funny moments at the Australian Open
Roger Federer and Jim Courier have chemistry most doubles combinations can only dream of. From singing reviews, to awkward injuries, nothing is off limits. Recap the post-match moments that have made these interviews must see viewing.
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There is a reason the grandstands at Melbourne Park remain full long after Roger Federer hits his final winner of the day.
The real show is only just beginning.
When tennis legend Jim Courier walks onto the court to conduct his post-match interview, the two have the sort of chemistry most doubles combinations can only dream of.
BAD LOOK: KYRGIOS DELETES HEWITT TWEET
LOOKING: CAN BIG FOUR EVER BE TOPPLED?
IT’S DONE: TOMIC HAS EYES ONLY ON THE FUTURE
From singing reviews, to awkward injuries and family life, nothing is off limits for this pair.
As the Swiss champion prepares to launch into his 20th Australian Open campaign, recap the post-match moments that have made the Federer-Courier combination must see viewing.
‘IT WAS TERRIBLE ACOUSTICS’
Year after year, as his Australian Open trophies piled up, we thought Roger Federer was perfect.
And if it wasn’t for Jim Courier and his microphone, we may have gone on thinking that forever.
However, thanks to an on-court interview in 2017, we discovered the truth.
In front of a packed Rod Laver Arena, Courier produced video footage of Federer’s tennis “Boy Band”, which also featured Grigor Dimitrov and Tommy Haas, singing Hard to Say I’m Sorry.
Courier then asked Federer to explain his vocal unforced errors.
“I thought it was terrible acoustics in that room, you know?,” Federer said before bursting out with laughter.
“I didn’t even know that song very well. I’ve heard it many, many times but the lyrics is not my thing.
“That’s why I think my voice was playing up a little bit. I thought Tommy saved us. Grigor, he just looks good. His voice is terrible.”
‘THESE THINGS ARE GETTING LOOSER AND LOOSER’
As their time on court has grown over the years, so too has the ‘looseness’ of their interviews.
Back in 2016, Federer and Courier reached the point where nothing was off limits.
Known as one of the most durable athletes the game has ever seen, Federer surprised onlookers when he took a medical time-out in his semi-final clash with Stan Wawrinka.
Not happy with being told it was a leg injury, Courier went digging for more answers. He certainly found them.
Federer: If you go off the court, it means the treatment is further up the leg.
Courier: You don’t need to be more specific. We are going to move along.
Federer: We are still talking about the leg right?
Courier: These things are getting looser and looser, these interviews.
IF THE GOAT COULD BE ANYONE …
An entire generation of young tennis players have grown up wanting to be Roger Federer.
But when the GOAT himself gets the chance to play as anyone in the world, who does he pick?
Courier got to the bottom of this question when asking Federer about his tennis video game habits.
It turns out being an “all-rounder” is pretty boring in the virtual world.
“Honestly, I do change. I like to play as Rafa just to see how a muscle game feels like,” he joked.
“Or have the big bomb (serve) like Andy (Roddick). I don’t have those things. It is a little way of feeling like them sometimes.
“I’m too all round. It’s not so much fun. I’d rather have the big serve or the incredible forehand but they give me the all-rounder.”
DADDY CAN LOSE NOW
Team Federer has certainly expanded over the years.
Roger and his wife Mirka have two sets of twins. Their two girls were born in 2009 and their two boys were born in 2014.
So what’s it like coming to Melbourne with the greatest tennis player of all time?
“They’ve told me many times, ‘Please don’t lose daddy. We want to stay here for longer.’
“For the first time today one of my daughters said, it’s actually OK (for me to lose), ‘I’m happy to go skiing in Switzerland now’. I was like, ‘C’mon! Give me one more match and maybe I can hang around for a couple more days.’ I think she is going to be alright with it.”
WHAT HAPPENED TO ROGER?
Federer might be one of the most humble champions in the world but as far as Courier is concerned, he has some competition in his own family.
In fact, he discovered that Federer is actually the rebel of the group.
“I saw you earlier today in the lunch room and I got to spend a little bit of time with your father,” Courier said. “He is a really, really nice man and I thought to myself, what happened to Roger? What happened to you?”
As the crowd laughed, Federer explained who he really is.
“That’s how it goes. Not everyone can be good guys in the family. You need one rebel. That would be me.”
‘THERE’S GOOD STUFF COMING’
Do you want to start with the good news or the bad news?
Everyone has their own strategy for answering this curly question and after his 2016 semi-final win over countryman Stan Wawrinka, it is clear how Federer likes to play it.
Courier: You’re up two sets to love. Stan gets treated for an injury time-out, comes out with tape on his knee. What changed at that point in the match?
Federer: Well, it’s good to talk about the bad stuff first I guess.
Courier: There’s good stuff coming, I promise.
He was right. Federer went on to win the tournament.
‘I JUST SIT ON THE COUCH’
With 20 Grand Slams, 99 titles and a career singles record of 1180-260, Federer has been at the very top of his game for almost two decades.
So what is the secret to his success?
“One thing that is probably overlooked is your fitness,” Courier said.
“It takes great physical strength and stamina to do what you do out here and make it look easy. Do you train really hard in the off-season? Can you give me any tips?”
Unfortunately, it probably wasn’t the answer the American was expecting.
“No, it is all talent. I don’t work,” Federer joked. “I just sit on the couch. All I do is really just take care of the kids.”
THE ULTIMATE PREVIEW
There is never a boring moment when the Courier-Federer combination takes the microphone at Melbourne Park. Even the standard questions deliver entertaining answers.
This was the case back in 2010, moments after Federer had just booked his place in the final with a win over Jo-Wilfred Tsonga.
Asked about taking on Andy Murray in his next match, Federer gave the ultimate preview.
“We’ve had some very different type of matches against each other,” he began.
“From my side, I’ll play very aggressive. Andy if you’re listening, I’ll come in on your backhand, you’ll pass me, I’ll drop shot you, you’ll lob me, I’ll hit it through the legs — it is going to be something like that.”
SHE HAS OTHER PLANS!
When you’ve been a part of Team Federer since basically the beginning, you can afford to miss the occasional post-match interview.
You’ve just got to hope Jim Courier doesn’t mention you in a question.
Federer’s wife Mirka lucked out on this front last year, after her husband ran through a rare day match in the blink of an eye.
“So now you are done. It is almost 5:45pm. You will have press conferences, massage and all that stuff but you actually get a night off here. Is that dinner and dancing with Mirka? What is the game plan for tonight?” Courier asked.
Little did he know, Federer had already been stood up.
“(We’ll) probably be busy until about 9pm. We might go out for a nice dinner if she’s in the mood … but she has left already so she has other plans!”
"We might go out for a nice dinner but she's left already... She might have other plans!"
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2018
- @RogerFederer on how he'll spend his night off with his wife 😂#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/s5P7WPosdT
‘MEDIOCRE’ FED COPS A WHACK
When you’ve done as many interviews together as Federer and Courier, you can be as open and honest as you like.
While in the early days, the pair predominantly stuck to critiquing Federer’s tennis, now nothing is off limits.
After a 2018 win over Richard Gasquet, Federer was asked for his take on the match.
“I was able to stay more on the offensive than he was and maybe I was protecting my own serve better than him,” he began.
“The second set was tight. The match was close. Tough games. The end could have gone to a tiebreaker, and then you never know … That’s a terrible answer but Richard played well too and I happened to win tonight.”
It would be fair to say Courier was putting that answer down as an unforced error.
“That was a mediocre answer but it was a great match though,” he joked.
Originally published as Roger Federer and Jim Courier have shared plenty of funny moments at the Australian Open
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