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Cape Town - Swiss superstar Roger Federer, who is chasing a ninth Wimbledon singles title, says his inspiration comes from players he used to watch.
The 36-year-old Federer said in an interview that he is inspired by legends of the past like Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras and feels it is where his style of play comes from.
"I think the style of my play comes from the players I used to admire," said Federer.
"So Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras all played in a similar way, but they had their unique style. What sticks out is that they all had a one-handed backhand. That’s maybe why I have a one-handed backhand because they had one.
"There were, of course, the Jim Courier's and Andre Agassi's with two-handed backhands, but that inspired me to play the way I played. I used to probably chip it a lot more like Edberg and Sampras did."
On the subject of drug testing, the 20-time grand slam champion has had seven tests in the last month
"It's been quite heavy," Federer admitted.
"Also, blood and urine. Two in Stuttgart, in Halle. In the village I live in Switzerland, the tester lives in the same village, so it’s very convenient.
"It's very convenient. If he’s bored at home, he probably just says, “Let me check in on Roger to see if he’s having a good time." He also added, "Anyway, it's only going to take 10 minutes, whatever.
"I've been tested quite a bit, quite frequently out-of-competition. I mentioned many times in Dubai I've hardly ever been tested, which has been quite disappointing. To be honest, in the 15 years, I've been there, it's been one test.
"I think it varies from place to place that you spend your time in. Maybe that's the part I don't like so much: the inconsistency of the places where they test.
"I understand it probably also has something to do with the budget of WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), like flying somebody there just for that one test, I understand.
"Yet that should not be an excuse. That's why I think after all we still need more funding. I hope that's going to happen. I don't believe there's ever going to be enough testing. What's important is these people are professional, they know what they’re doing, they treat you like humans, not like criminals."
