Roger Federer’s emotional loss changed his mindset, sparking his rise to greatness

It is difficult to picture Roger Federer as the teenager he once was. The player remembered for his composure and elegant tennis spent his early years struggling to control his emotions on court. Federer later admitted, “I cried a lot and I threw my rackets everywhere,” while reflecting on how badly he handled losses. His talent was never the issue. The bigger challenge was learning how to stop frustration from taking control of his game.The wake-up call came in Hamburg in 2001. Federer lost 6-3, 6-4 to Franco Squillari in the opening round of the Hamburg Masters, and the defeat stayed with him for a reason that had little to do with the result. He smashed his racket, cried over his performance and realized that his behavior could not continue if he wanted to reach the level he believed was possible.