Dubai Open 2019: Roger Federer talks about significance of winning 100th career title

Roger Federer
Roger Federer Reuters

Former world No. 1 Roger Federer says winning his 100th career title means that his focus was not just on winning Major tournaments.

Roger Federer is currently in the Middle East taking part in the 2019 Dubai Open.

In the last match, the Swiss tennis ace defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany in the round of 32 of the Dubai Open. Roger Federer will next face Fernando Verdasco later today in the round of 16 of the ongoing tournament.

Roger Federer has won 20 Grand Slam titles and is leading the list for the most number of Grand Slam titles won by the Men's Singles section in an open era.

"A lot of tennis and a lot of tournaments are played aside from the Grand Slams. People only see that," said Roger Federer.

"They talk about Wimbledon, the US Open, all the Slams, but I do not go refrigerating in between. I actually play a lot and I think those 100 titles if I win it here or anywhere, would actually show that I have played a lot of tennis in my career," the 37-year-old added.

There has been a myth that Roger Federer focuses only on winning Grand Slams. If he wins the Dubai Open, it will be his 100th tournament win. of his career and with that, the perception could also change.

In 2009, Roger Federer had surpassed another tennis legend Pete Sampras' record of 14 Major titles.

The tennis legend is now delighted and proud of his own achievement that saw him overtake Sampras' record.

"It makes me very proud. You are not there to break it for him but you just try to achieve something for yourself, your team, your country," said Roger Federer.

"I was able to do that, nobody can take it away from you and one day somebody is gonna break it, maybe sooner than later, you don't know, but that's okay, media are also driving players and young stars to go out and break all the records.

"The motivation for me has been not to break someone's records or any kind of record but it's really been, I am playing against the young generation, playing against my generation of players but also the one prior to me, the likes of Sampras, Agassi, Henman, Moya, Kafelnikov. That was a cool time, playing the guys you used to see on TV," he added.

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