One of Tennis' Greatest

It’s the second post of the week and it is only fitting to talk about the great Roger Federer retiring. Many, many tennis fans became fans because of Roger Federer. He single handedly kept the sport popular between the retirement of Pete Sampras and the emergence of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. I know many players, such as Matteo Berrettini, who started to play tennis because of Federer. His play on grass is unmatched, he has an unbreakable connection to that surface. He probably has the most elegant one-handed backhand in the game. His 21 grand slams are a testament to his longevity, greatness, and ability to turn up on the biggest of stages. For me, it was the courtesy in which he played the sport. Whether he won or lost, he was always the same; controlled, polite, and respectful. He would never show his true emotions on the court, his facial expression would never change. His mental toughness was unreal, something which this new generation seems to be lacking. He truly was an inspiration on the court.

The bigger question now is whether Novak and Nadal will retire sooner. I think Nadal will find it very hard to play without his best mate on the court. A couple more years and he’ll be ready to hang up his racket. Djokovic has probably 4 or 5 years left on the court. He is in such good physical condition and tennis form that he wants to go for as many grand slams as possible. However, it will not be the Big Three anymore, which sounds so weird to say. I don’t know whether Novak and Nadal will play with the same desire to improve and the same hunger to win games without Federer on the court. Tennis will not be the same without the Swiss Maister…ever.

Thank you for everything Roger