Tennis legend Roger Federer says he thought of quitting the game after surpassing Pete Sampras in the list of most Grand Slam wins in 2009. Sampras has won 14 Grand Slam titles in his career. Federer won his only French Open title that year after defeating Robin Söderling in the final. By doing so, he equalled Sampras' tally.
The Swiss tennis ace defeated Andy Roddick to win the Wimbledon and that allowed him to overtake Sampras for the most number of Grand Slam titles. That is when the 37-year-old considered retiring from tennis. "In 2009, I won the French Open and Wimbledon to beat [Pete] Sampras' Grand Slam titles - at the time I had already won everything, I could stop," Federer told Swiss newspaper Tribune de Geneve.
Federer went on to win five more Grand Slam titles since then. Federer is leading the list more most Grand Slam titles by Men's Singles player. That should make him feel special right? Wrong. That's not how Federer feels. "I see myself as someone totally normal," Federer added.
"And then there are people who come to you, who recognise you, who asks you autographs or tell you that have been following you for 10-20 years, that you do well. "It touches me. And suddenly, I remember that I am a tennis player who did all this." Federer also discussed about his day-to-day life.
"I am a father and husband, a son for my parents; this is the man I am, the way I am, not the tennis player," Federer said. "When you finish shopping in a supermarket and the people recognise you. In that moment I am afraid I can disappoint them. "Because they see me as a superstar and they have a guy in front of them who lives his daily life. "This moment will be much more special because that person comes to me just once in his life while I did not come for that at that moment."
