They are not the same, of course. Jordan retired three times, played baseball, came back, and left the activity permanently at the age of 40 in 2003. Maradona was inactive due to doping, was left without competing, returned to Argentina and, when the ghost of another positive haunted his figure , in 1997 put an end to 21 years of experience. Federer, on the other hand, had his ups and downs, it’s true, but he never flirted with letting it all go. He was always up there, with his talent as a flag. Only a complicated injury to the menisci of his right knee, with three surgeries at an advanced sporting age, brought him down.
The Laver Cup, an unofficial tournament endorsed by ATP and created by the athlete himself and his company, was the last performance, with Rafael Nadal, his rival and friend, by his side. London, the city that saw him become a tennis god, bid him farewell. The end, known but unwanted, came and caused pain, but also the joy of having enjoyed such a race.
Since he broke into the major circuit in 1998 (his ATP debut was in Gstaad, in his native Switzerland, with a defeat against the Argentine Lucas Arnold Ker) it was evident that he had a plus over the rest. In those days he was an irascible young man who unleashed his fury after a defeat. His rackets paid several times the price of frustration.
But once everything changed. The Basel prodigy understood that his character was harming him and that he had to remain calm. On February 4, 2001, when he was ranked number 27 in the ranking, he defeated Frenchman Julien Boutter in three sets and won the Milan tournament, which was played on an indoor carpet. It was the first of 103 titles for him. From there, everything was magic.
In that same 2001 he reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros and Wimbledon. On the sacred lawn, 21 years ago, an event took place that set fire to the history of tennis: in the round of 16 eliminated the legendary Pete Sampras, in what meant an inheritance of the legacy. Federer first enshrined himself in the Cathedral of tennis in 2003, and his long dominance began ever since.
Collecting the numbers, achievements and records of the Swiss idol can become a pipe dream. Instead, it was his movements, his shots, his harmony that always stood out about Federer. “The Ideal Tennis Player” described the world’s media over time.
“The metaphysical explanation is that Roger Federer is one of those rare, extraordinary athletes who is exempt, at least in part, from certain physical laws.”. The writer David Foster Wallace essayed these lines in his article “Federer as religious experience” published in the New York Times in 2006. The novelist who died in 2008 analyzed the eight-time Wimbledon champion almost as if he were a deity.
To think of the Swiss is to think of that impossible but elegant shot, charged with magic and produced with the movements of a fencer. That was Her Majesty’s tennis. Classical dancer steps with cybernetic precision, graceful strokes and smart decisions. as she once said Muhammad Alianother member of Olympus: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”.
Throughout his 24 seasons in the great circus, he cemented his victories based on a privileged physical state (he had very few injuries), a ballistic serve and an always effective forehand. But when he had to adapt his game to face the new generations, he changed. The setback, his big deficit, he improved game by game; the passing of the years forced him to shorten points and play vintage tennis. His weapons were no longer as profitable, so it was time to evolve.
The eternal discussion of who is the best tennis player in history will be reserved for each one. This is a sport that has undergone profound mutations over the decades. Bill Tilden, Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras… too many names to start a debate. There is no doubt that Federer is there, but perhaps the advantage of the oldest No. 1 in history lies in another aspect.
Tennis is undoubtedly a global sport. In this framework, the Helvetian wrote his greatest feats in times of massive transmissions on a planetary scale and in the era of social networks. Its quality was enhanced by an unprecedented television arrival, and that caused admiration in hundreds of millions of fans. Federer was an athlete that everyone tried to copy, an example of a competitor and a mirror for the youngest. It is possible that there were better than him, why not, but what he produced inside the courts was rarely seen.
Off the pitch, he displayed both laudable and questionable attitudes. Just as on several occasions he played matches for the benefit of dozens of causes, he was also reluctant to certain structural changes in world tennis, often led by the Serbian Novak Djokovic. His sports status made it easier for him to be called economically, but he also demanded that he support him in order not to harm his image and business.
The news of his retirement caused consternation around the world. It is true that life will go on and it is only a sporting event, but it is not just another event. for these hours tennis feels the end of the adventure of a divinity that many wanted to be. to the very Nadal, his great rival, expressed his sadness and “honor”: “With Roger’s retirement, an important part of my life is gone.” The Spaniard, the nemesis who became a close friend and then a friend, cried along with the Swiss.
Is that figures from all disciplines always expressed their admiration for Federer. Maradona himself, a fervent fan of tennis, once defined it as “The Machine”.
It will remain as an anecdote that illustrates the chivalry of the Swiss who never retired in 1,750 matches played between singles and doubles. In the same way, he will be burned into the retinas of millions of fans of his offensive tennis but distinguished, with airs of racket aristocracy worthy of very few.
Maradona, Jordan, Ali, Juan Manuel Fangio, Usain Bolt, Yelena Isinbaeva, Michael Phelps, Nadia Comaneci, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Brady… so many names at Federer’s level that sit at the same table. The Olympus of sport surrenders at the feet of an outstanding tennis player who transcended time. “Come in, His Majesty. We were waiting for it”, is heard among the greatest.
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
