Roger Federer once reserved a sarcastic response for a reporter inquiring about Andy Murray’s Wimbledon prospects amid the perceived decline of formidable players like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Top seed and defending champion Federer suffered a shock 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat to Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships. Meanwhile, the other top seeds – Nadal, Djokovic and Murray – all made it through to the semifinals of the grasscourt Major.

Following his loss, Roger Federer fielded a question about whether this was the best chance for Andy Murray to triumph at his home Slam, considering the apparent loss in form for players like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

In response, the Swiss took a dig at the reporter, sarcastically suggesting that Nadal’s recent performances had been “terrible,” dismissing Robin Soderling as a non-threat and questioning Djokovic’s ability to compete effectively. He facetiously also remarked that Murray had an “easy ride” to the Wimbledon title.

“Yeah, I mean, true, Rafa played terribly lately; Soderling is not a threat either. He’s got an easy ride to this victory, that’s for sure. Djokovic can’t play tennis anymore, it seems like,” he said in his post-match press conference.

He then turned serious and urged respect for the players, discouraging such questions. He also hailed Murray as a fantastic player, expressing confidence in the Brit’s potential to triumph at Wimbledon.

“Got to make your own work, please. Respect the players. Obviously Andy is a fantastic player, and he’s got all the chances to win here. We all know that,” he added.