Roger Federer once expressed discontent regarding the media’s extreme reaction to his losses amid his campaign at the 2009 Italian Open.

After winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, Federer exerted his dominance on the men’s circuit as he racked up Major titles. However, his seemingly unchallenged rule came under threat with the rise of the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, prompting scrutiny into his career trajectory.

The Swiss’ 2009 season got off to an unfortunate start, as he suffered a narrow five-set loss to Nadal in the Australian Open final. He failed to triumph at the Indian Wells and Miami Masters as well, commencing the claycourt season with no titles to his name.

After his third-round exit at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Roger Federer entered the Italian Open as the second seed, beating Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 6-4 in his opening match. He then claimed a dominant 6-4, 6-1 win over Radek Stepanek to reach the quarterfinals of the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Following his win, the Swiss was asked whether he paid any attention to the concerns raised over his form and career in the media. However, Federer disclosed that he only read the news coverage when he won, choosing to avoid reports entirely any time he lost.

“Depends when. When I win, I read it. When I lose, I don’t read it,” he said in his post-match press conference.

He expressed frustration with having to read “funny things” after his losses too often, sharing that even his friends had started to buy into the media’s narrative.

“It’s pretty simple. Too often it’s happened that I’m reading these funny things when I’m losing. That they know why I lost, you know, which is sometimes completely wrong. So I just started not to get carried away with it,” he said.

“You know, too many friends are telling me like, It’s going to be okay Roger. Don’t worry. I’m like, What’s the problem? There’s no problem. Even my friends start to believe it, you know, so this is when I really know I shouldn’t have a peek at the papers,” he added.

Roger Federer: “For the last five, six years I’ve been so dominant there was really little to write about in a negative way”

Roger Federer went on to admit that he would have to get used to the media not being in his favor, given that his sustained dominance over a five-to-six year period had given the press very little negative fodder.

“No, I mean, I guess it’s something that I also have to get used to, just a bit more press that’s just not always like in my favor. You know, just for the last five, six years I’ve been playing so well and I’ve been so dominant there was really little to write about in a negative way,” he said in the same press conference.

The Swiss also emphasized that he needed to prioritize getting back to his best level of play instead of dwelling on what was being said in the media.

“Important thing is as a player you know what’s going on. I’m very confident I know what’s wrong and I know what’s right. It’s just important that I work hard and get back to my best play. I know I’m very close to it,” he said.

Federer made a run to the semifinals of the 2009 Italian Open, losing 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to eventual runner-up Novak Djokovic.