Roger Federer's timing was exquisite, as always. The seven-time Wimbledon champion arrived on the dot at the back-rooms of the All England Club for an exclusive interaction with select media.
It had been a night of much celebration and little sleep but the once and newly returned world No. 1 looked none the worse for wear. And he was quick to acknowledge that given the magnitude of the stakes for both finalists, it was always going to be a tearful affair, either for him or Andy Murray.
The Swiss superstar, who has often wept after both wins and losses, didn't shed too many tears on Sunday night. But he insisted that it was fine for grown men to cry, "To show you are human, that your heart can be broken too".
On the morning after his "most special" Grand Slam victory, Federer said, "When you cry, you communicate with fans. I think they appreciate the fact that we care about winning and losing, we care about what they feel. I think all of us players are happy to play the tennis, hold the trophy, sign a few autographs and leave the arena. The difficult part is the speech, especially knowing that 15,000 people are feeling bad for you. So, it's OK to break down, to let it all out."
Federer said everything that he had gone through in the last two-and-a-half years, all the times he had lost matches he should've won, after having match points and leading by two sets to love, as at Wimbledon last year, had prepared him for Sunday's final.
"You learn from those situations, you also know that the more you put yourself in positions where you can go through and win the title, it's only a matter of time. Yesterday, when leading two-sets-to-one and a break up, I was ready for it, I could almost taste the win, but I also needed to be respectful of Andy's situation of how the crowd was feeling. I thought it was a great final, one of the biggest of victories for me," he said.
The 30-year-old, whose 3-year-old twin daughters Charlene Riva and Myla Rose watched the trophy presentation ceremony on Centre Court with wife Mirka, said he was thankful for that precious moment. "In the middle of all that craziness, we got that intimate, family moment for which I am really grateful."
Federer, who qualified for the ATP's season-ending championships with Sunday's win, will take a short break from tennis before he begins preparations for the Olympics, at the All England Club, starting July 28.
The most decorated player in men's tennis said, "For me, the tournament I remember first as a child has always been Wimbledon. So that was a goal for the season, the Olympics is one of my three goals for the year. It's a whole different tournament compared to these two weeks, it's best of three sets, so the dynamics change, especially in the early rounds. I want to win, to do well for my country and I also want to enjoy the Olympic experience."
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