It's almost a year since Roger Federer's farewell at the Laver Cup. How did you experience that evening?
It really was a very emotional evening. Although we were able to prepare for it, the emotions got the better of us at the end. So many things happened so quickly that you no longer knew what was happening.

Beforehand, I just hoped that the evening would go exactly as Roger had imagined.

His farewell has a direct impact on your annual planning, as many weeks will be free. What do you now have more time and resources for?
Generally speaking, everything is much easier to plan. When you're on the ATP Tour, you're always thinking in contingencies between tournaments. You keep your dates open and can rarely make definite commitments. I'm at home more now and have more time for family, friends and my own new projects. I really enjoy that.

Stan Wawrinka has fought his way back from a lengthy injury and was celebrated frenetically by the crowd at Roland Garros. What do you think this triggers in him? What else can tennis fans expect from Stan this year?
I wish him all the best. He is an incredible fighter with great passion. There is probably this phenomenon when people realise that a top player won't be on the tour for many more years. They want to see Stan again on the biggest stages in the tennis world and be inspired by him. I think he's not very far away from a very good level at which you can win tournaments. Stan should never be written off.

In February, the Swiss Davis Cup team won the qualifying match against Germany with a great display of willpower, and the final group matches are coming up in Manchester in September. What emotions did that victory against Germany bring up?
The euphoria was huge and we can be very proud of the win against Germany. But as captain, I'm already looking ahead to the next matches. In tennis, you can often only enjoy yourself for a very short time. We have a team with a lot of good guys who look up to Stan as a leader. I hope that the young players will continue to develop and give Switzerland many more good Davis Cup years.

What is the captain's focus when it comes to preparing the players for the challenges they face in the Davis Cup - often in very different conditions?
Every match is different. A large part of the preparation work takes place throughout the year and over the long term. I gather information about the opponent, especially if they are rather unknown on the world stage. I also make a lot of phone calls to other coaches and players. During short-term preparation, I watch the opponent's training sessions, study videos or interpret statistics. However, it is important that we make this information available to our players in a simple and understandable way. The greater the players' tension before an important match, the more they focus on the structure of their own game and less on tactical finesse.

The Zug Open is celebrating its second edition. How important are Challenger tournaments for young Swiss players in their own country?
Challenger tournaments in your own country are essential. Italy, for example, has organised an extremely large number of tournaments in recent years. I think that's certainly one of the factors why the country now has a high density of top young players. The Challenger tournaments in Switzerland provide extra motivation and a perspective. If you get a wild card as a young talent and then win a few matches, this can greatly accelerate your entry into the professional ranks. For the same number of points, you would otherwise have to pay a lot of money.

Where do young players decide whether they are ready for a professional career? What prerequisites must be met?
It's a big puzzle with many pieces that interact with each other. On the one hand, there are the playing factors: talent, technique, tactical understanding, physicality. On the other hand, the passion for tennis is key for me as a coach. It's a very long and often arduous journey from junior level to the professional tour. And a passion, an inner fire, helps you not to lose sight of this path and to be able to deal with setbacks.

Qualifying for the main draw of the Grand Slams is seen as an important milestone in a young career. Dominic Stricker, winner of the Zug Open 2022, achieved this for the first time at Roland Garros. Why is this step important? What changes in the starting position?
The Grand Slams are very well organised, the prize money and points are high, and names like Djokovic and Alcaraz appear in the same tableau. You're where you've been working towards for years. I think the players realise at that moment: now I really belong.