In almost every sport imaginable, it’s the successful athletes who get to walk away with all the fame and glory. However, behind the success of any athlete lies the coach, who ensures that the athlete’s technique and lifestyle are correct. For 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer, much of his development during his early years as a pro can be attributed to his coach Peter Lundgren. The veteran Swedish coach worked with the Swiss maestro from 2000 to 2003. At the time, Federer was a budding tennis talent, whose game was nowhere near perfect.

In a recent interview, Lundgren revealed that despite helping Federer to become a dominant player, the Swiss legend rarely makes an effort to stay in touch with him these days. However, Lundgren is not at all upset about his former protege’s attitude towards him.

Former Roger Federer’s coach is still happy to ‘see him on TV’

When Peter Lundgren started coaching a young Roger Federer, he wasn’t the Swiss’ only coach. He was part of a two-man team, which also featured Peter Carter. However, after Carter’s tragic death in 2002, Lundgren became Federer’s primary coach. It didn’t take too long for Lundgren’s influence to result in success for Federer, as he won his first-ever Wimbledon title in 2003. Federer went on to win 7 more Wimbledon titles and cement his legacy as the tournament’s greatest-ever player.

You would think that Federer would regularly connect with Lundgren given that he got his first taste of Grand Slam success under his tutelage. However, the reality is that Federer hasn’t done enough to keep in touch with his former coach. Lundgren shared this reality in a recent interview.

In the interview, Lundgren said, “Well, Roger was never the best caller in the world. But that’s absolutely okay with me”. He added, “I’m happy every time I see him on TV”.

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Lundgren also revealed that he spent some time with Federer’s mother and father recently. “I also recently met his parents. We talked for 20 minutes, which was a nice experience.”

What is Lundgren up to these days?

Right now, Lundgren is busy coaching 20-year-old Swiss tennis prodigy Dominic Stricker. However, Lundgren’s coaching role these days is drastically different from how it was during his time with Roger Federer.

Lundgren’s role as Dominic Stricker’s coach is more like that of a mentor. More often than not, Lundgren advises Stricker from a distance. In the interview, he revealed why he chose to be more of a mentor and less of a coach for Stricker. According to Lundgren, the long time he has spent on the tour makes him reluctant to pursue coaching as a full-time profession.

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