Roger Federer: The wizard with a Wilson wand
It was a forehand. The ball was zipping towards him, threatening to go away like youth from an aging man. He decided, not now. Like a prima ballerina, he moved to his right. Ironically, the movement was not the same, as if the prime ballerina was past her “prime”. Still, it was enough. He stretched his hand, and the strings made a connection with the ball. Everyone thought it would hit the net, but it zipped past. The play was stopped. Replays were checked. Inexplicably, the ball had travelled from between the net and the string that held it. The point was lost, but just like that, a moment of magic and amazement was created. It was unprecedented; nobody had seen anything like it. Just like the man who had hit it: Roger Federer.
(This is not fictional; you can watch the video here.)
My earliest memory of Federer is of when he was a challenger: he had defeated Pete Sampras. That was not the age of social media or DTH; we had to rely on newspaper coverage. Here was a 19-year-old, who scruffed a legend touted to win Wimbledon for the fifth time straight. To be honest, I was not a fan then. But it was only a matter of time.
What followed was absolute carnage. In the years to follow, Federer was routing everybody in his way — old, new, legend, novice — people didn’t know how to react to this guy. That “oil painting of a backhand” was making waves. His reign had begun.
There are many stats that tell the story of his greatness, but they all end up belying it. Federer’s stature was always the highest because of what he did for the sport. The ball boy from Basel made so many people take to tennis, it was like nothing else.
Many people joined his journey — rivals like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who became friends. But it was his journey — and his journey was unique because it was traversed with his fans. His fans, who would exhaust their breaths singing paeans in his honour or defend him in justified and unjustified comparisons.
The day I dreaded, along with millions like me, sprung upon us. Cataclysmically, Federer announced that he would be retiring from professional tennis. His sport made him seem immortal, but his injuries kept reminding us that he was alas a mortal. This was the final blow.
The word “final” traces its roots back to the Latin ‘finis’ meaning end. It was reported that Federer would be making his “final” appearance at Laver Cup 2022 in London, a city that has been witness to the many miracles this man has pulled off. But that is not true. Because the legend of Federer cannot end.
There have been legends, and there will be legends in the future. But Federer transcended tennis to become a titan in the world of sports. As long as there is sport in this world, the name Federer will be synonymous with oxymoronic excellence — a man who possessed skill with magic, technique with improvisation, traditional shots with modern finesse, aggression with calmness and hardwork with passion.
Federer walked among mortals to give us joy and wonder. Go gently into the good night, Roger Federer. You are beyond comparé.
