When greatness is talked of, Roger Federer is embossed on the top. The Swiss legend, who made millions fall in love with tennis was the epitome of perfectionism. He made the sport look simple with his natural one-handed backhand, perfect slices, and whatnot. However, deep behind his natural traits was something else that many failed to witness. His ex-coach, Ivan Ljubicic removed the curtains from that.

Roger Federer’s career, known for its extraordinary excellence, had its share of hidden challenges, according to his former coach, Ivan Ljubicic. While Federer seemed flawless on the court and beyond, Ljubicic revealed that even a player of Federer’s caliber faced mental struggles and tough times. However, Stefan Edberg, Federer’s coach before Ljubicic was able to bring multiple changes to the Swiss legend’s game. This even included using slightly bigger racquets.

“Roger was perfect in almost every way,” Ljubicic said, reflecting on their time together. He praised Federer’s incredible attention to detail, saying, “The details, the excellence of everything he did.”

Federer was working with Stefan Edberg and 4 years had gone by but he wasn’t able to win any grand slams. Then, in 2015 came Ljubicic. When he started with Ljubicic, things didn’t go easy on them and they had their complicated moments. But, it was Federer who took control of things. So much so that even Ljubicic didn’t have to care much about things.“There were many days when I didn’t know what to say because he was perfect,” he explained. “All the things he did, he did with great application.” Interestingly, Ivan Ljubicic helped Federer win the last 3 grand slams of his career.

The coach also addressed a misconception people often have about Federer: that everything seemed easy for him. “We’ve had some difficult times mentally, because everyone thinks that everything is easy for Roger, but we’ve had some complicated times,” Ljubicic shared, pointing out that even a champion like Federer has faced mental obstacles. However, the addition of Ljubicic proved to be a turning point in his career. But, how did the two stars get in touch with each other?

Roger Federer’s ex-coach reveals how he started coaching the Swiss star

In the same interview, Ivan Ljubicic shared how an unexpected dinner invitation from Roger Federer marked the start of their impactful partnership. Ljubicic was in London working for Italian television during the Masters tournament when Federer reached out. “He invited me, his wife, and my wife to dinner,” the Croatian coach explained, recalling the unexpected encounter that would eventually shape Federer’s next chapter.

During their conversation, Federer surprised Ljubicic with a question about working together. “He asked me if I’d be interested in working with him,” Ljubicic recounted, admitting he was taken aback. “I was really surprised because I didn’t know Stefan Edberg was going to stop,” he added. But despite the surprise, Ljubicic didn’t hesitate, responding with an enthusiastic, “Yes, absolutely.”

The dinner talk soon turned to Federer’s goals, with the Swiss legend seeking Ljubicic’s thoughts on his future prospects. “He asked me if I thought he could still win Grand Slams because he hadn’t won one for four years,” Ljubicic shared. His response was immediate and confident: “Absolutely.” Ljubicic further clarified his commitment to their journey: “I wasn’t signing up for just one Grand Slam; I said I’d like to win several.”

With this, started a new journey that was filled with success both on and off the courts. While Federer managed to end his grand slam drought, and ended his career with a 20 grand slam titles.