After schooling his rivals on court for years, now Roger Federer is advising his “robotic” peers to present themselves better off court.

The world’s most recognised athlete is also the world’s most interviewed athlete, with the Swiss superstar routinely conducting press conferences in three or four languages after every one of his matches.

And given the 36-year-old has now played 1383, not to mention exhibitions, that’s quite a lot.

Certainly enough to allow Federer to offer qualified advice to his locker-room colleagues who don’t handle the media so well.

“Some players, I think, struggle with it,” Federer said after breezing into the second round of the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Aljaz Bedene.

“I would like to see more players just being really themselves in front of the press, being more relaxed about it, not worrying so much about making mistakes.

“(The press) know not every word should be twisted. You know maybe how he meant it, don’t make him pay so badly for a mistake.

“You’d rather see that than robots left, right and centre. I feel like sometimes some players have gotten a little bit too robot-like. I wish they would let loose and be themselves.”

The Swiss megastar more than held his own when “interviewed” by comedian Will Ferrell – in character as Ron Burgundy from the Anchorman movies – after his opening-round win over Bedene.

Federer says the key to staying fresh in the face of thousands of monotonous questions is not returning serve with answers about backhands and forehands.

“Number one, I think talking in different languages is always an interesting thing,” said Federer,” whose first language is Swiss German, although he’s also fluent in German, French and English.

In addition he speaks a little Italian, Spanish and Swedish and – courtesy of his mother from Johannesburg – some Afrikaans.

“I try to see the press as sort of a bridge,” he said.

“Hopefully it’s a good story for the people who read it or are watching it on TV, that they think tennis is a great sport, it’s actually interesting.

“I’m giving them maybe more than just like: ‘My forehand worked well, the second serve I have to improve’.

“You walk away. That was boring. I always try to give it a little bit something extra.”